How to Repair an Inflatable Air Bed

Inflatable air beds, like water-bed mattresses, are made of a thick vinyl. You can easily repair a leak by patching. The patch kit, sometimes included when you purchase an air bed, consists of a vinyl patch and some vinyl glue. You can also find repair kits at home improvement stores or where inflatable air beds are sold.

Things You'll Need

• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton ball
• Scissors
• Cotton swab (optional)
• Plastic glove (optional)
• Vinyl patch or patch kit
• Vinyl glue

Instructions

1. Deflate the air bed and clean the area around the leak with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. Let the cleaned area dry completely before patching.

2. Measure and cut the vinyl patch 1 cm larger than the hole.

3. Dab the vinyl glue over the leaking area just a little larger than the size of the patch. Use your finger or a cotton swab. Wait one minute for the glue to set.

4. Apply an equal amount of glue to the patch.

5. Apply a second dab of glue to the hole and around it.

6. Stick the patch, glue side down, to the hole in the air bed. Allow the patch to bond to the air bed for 30 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• An air bed mattress that is leaking from multiple small holes will benefit from several light coats of an acrylic spray paint. Deflate the bed before spraying the paint. This will fill the holes and patch the leaks.

• Patching and acrylic spray paint will not adhere to a suede-covered air bed top. Write to the manufacture and ask if they can provide a repair kit.

References

• Inflatable Air Bed: Patching your Inflatable Air Bed

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish