“I just found out that my mattress that I’ve been sleeping on every night for years and years and years is made almost entirely out of fiberglass,” TikTok creator Cody Jacob exclaimed in his recent viral video.
Jacob posted this TikTok on December 10th, sharing his experience of finding the fiberglass in his mattress spilling out – and ultimately contaminating his room. He even shared glimpses of the fiberglass on his walls, giving off a glitter-like effect. At the end of the video, Jacob pleaded for any mattress company to send him a new mattress, specifically tagging and mentioning Casper in the video for help.
The video quickly went viral and currently has 8.5 million views and over 11 thousand comments.
The comment section was quick to respond with their own stories of fiberglass contamination. One commenter added, “My mattress had a removable cover to wash it and the one time I took it off my whole room, clothes, and electronics were covered in fiberglass. It took me months to get rid of. Never again.” Jacob responded saying, “THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.”
In the comments, Jacob indicated there was a warning tag on the mattress and told Insider that since it was a zip-off mattress cover he thought it would be fine to remove for washing.
“The second you even open the zipper, not even take the cover off, it just goes everywhere,” Jacob told Insider.
The mattress was originally purchased off of Amazon and while the entire mattress isn’t technically made entirely out of fiberglass, the mattress cover does have fiberglass ingrained in it.
Fiberglass is a compost material made from glass and reinforced plastic and is a common material used in mattresses. It is woven into mattress covers to act as a flame retardant, and is ubiquitous thanks to its low cost and durability for manufacturers to work with.
Is fiberglass dangerous? Well, it depends. Direct exposure to fiberglass can be harmful, but if your mattress contains fiberglass and isn’t damaged, you should be okay. CEO of Innerbody Research Eric Rodriguez told Sleepopolis in an earlier interview, “Fiberglass inside a mattress is okay if it stays in, but if it gets out, it can wreak havoc on your house and your health.”
That’s why it’s a good habit to read the tags on your mattress. If your mattress or mattress cover contain fiberglass, the tag should indicate this, letting you know not to remove the cover or particles could be released. (This is a large reason why mattress tags are technically illegal to remove.) Mattress tags indicate what materials are inside the mattress and also lets customers know if their mattress is new or used. (And if you’re not sure if your mattress contains fiberglass, keep in mind that some companies will use terms like “glass wool” or “glass fibers” to describe the materials – but that’s just fiberglass by a different name.) While the tags are small, reading them is important, especially to know if removing the cover could lead to a hazardous situation.
As a response to Jacob’s plea for a new mattress, he’s been offered nine brand-new mattresses from companies and will donate the mattresses he doesn’t use, according to Insider. Thankfully there’s a happy end to this story, but Jacob explains there’s a larger issue at hand.
“It’s really important for consumers to understand what they’re purchasing; but, I also think the bigger issue is that something like this could happen in the first place. Of course, being an informed buyer is one thing, but to be subjected to being coated in fiberglass simply because I wanted to wash the removable cover of my mattress is unacceptable,” Jacob told the Daily Dot.
For more information, check out our comprehensive guide to fiberglass in your mattress.
If you’re looking for a mattress but are skeeved out by the idea of fiberglass, check out our roundup of organic mattresses, all of which are fiberglass free.
Lastly, if you notice any rashes or skin irritation and think the fiberglass in your mattress could be to blame, speak with your healthcare provider – they’ll be able to help you pinpoint what’s causing it and come up with an appropriate treatment plan.