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Anonymous Poster

Mattress Fire (Polyurethane/Polypropylene) ...Throw Away Kids Toys?

11/28/2010 6:57 PM

I'd be grateful for any advice you might be able to give me.

We had a close call a couple days ago...kids mattress came really close to catching on fire (long story...space heater up against bed).

The mattress never caught on fire, but about a 12" section on the side was fully charred. The room had a good bit of smoke it in when we discovered it. Thank goodness for smoke detectors!

I am concerned about any residual hazzard to my (3 & 4 yr old) children. This is their bedroom.

Mattress was 15% Polyurethane foam...Mattress cover was 100% Polypropylene.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c206/nashguitar1/mattresstag.jpg

I am leaning towards throwing everything away...toys/clothes, washing walls & furniture. Is this the best course of action?

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#1

Re: Mattress Fire (Polyurethane/Polypropylene) ...Throw Away Kids Toys?

11/28/2010 11:36 PM

I'm no expert, but I think you can just wipe clean non-porous surfaces such as plastic toys, table tops etc. Doesn't make sense that you are going to keep the same affected walls, floors and ceilings yet throw away other stuff that are affected in exactly the same way. If there is any physical damage, throw it away. If it's just soot on the surface, wipe and clean it. Chances are, some of the plastics you find in some kids toys (new or old) have some sort of impartable toxins in them anyway, only below set national standards. You could enquire with the manufacturers of the bedding. By the way, I would throw away items the kids my frequently put in their mouths such as pacifiers, teething rings etc..

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#2

Re: Mattress Fire (Polyurethane/Polypropylene) ...Throw Away Kids Toys?

11/29/2010 7:40 AM

You didn't mention throwing away the space heater. Get rid of it first.

You ought to check with your local fire department and ask their advice. Probably anything that can be washed in a clothes washer or dishwasher would be OK to keep. You might need to paint the walls after you've washed them.

You might want to get an air purifier with a carbon filter to filter out any residual chemicals or dust particles.

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Anonymous Poster
#3

Re: Mattress Fire (Polyurethane/Polypropylene) ...Throw Away Kids Toys?

11/29/2010 9:22 AM

Thanks for the quick replies.

Space heater was a wall unit, never used by us (until now). We had it off at the fuse-box...contractor must've flipped it during a recent remodel. Fire department dismantled it; didn't really have much advice.

There was a moderate amount of smoke in the room, like burning something on the stove. Almost no visible soot.

Sounds like I'll be good to wash everything, except for pacifiers, etc.

Thanks again!

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#4

Re: Mattress Fire (Polyurethane/Polypropylene) ...Throw Away Kids Toys?

11/29/2010 12:15 PM

Is the thing CE-marked? If it isn't, then buy a replacement that is, instead.

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