Memory foam, in particular, responds to heat and becomes more malleable when warm, which means it will be softer. Layer up your mattress with blankets, or lay on it for a while before bed to warm it up.
Be careful not to spread the foam on the surface (1). Moisten a sponge with a dissolvent: Acetone or nail polish remover can be effective dissolvents for removing cured expanding foam. Moisten a sponge with the dissolvent and gently rub it on the foam to soften and remove it (1).
Turn up the heat in your bedroom – making the room a little warmer will soften the foam and allow it to form around your body easier. Use alternative heat sources like electric blankets, heat packs, or hot water bottles to make the mattress warm before rolling or kneading it and then sleeping on it.
Adjust the Temperature of Your Bedroom
Raising the temperature in your bedroom can soften the foam and make it mold to your body more readily.
Sit and Lay On It—A Lot
Sit and lay on your sofa as much as possible throughout the day to squish the cushions under your weight. Bounce up and down a few times to compress the cushions and break down the foam insert a little. Shuffle the cushions around and flip them periodically so they soften evenly.
If you have a memory foam mattress or a hybrid mattress with a foam layer, we'd recommend trying to warm your mattress up before sleeping. Memory foam, in particular, responds to heat and becomes more malleable when warm, which means it will be softer.
Make your room warmer
A memory foam mattress is temperature-sensitive. Since these types of mattress respond to heat, you could try making your bedroom a little warmer. This could help soften your mattress.
Something many people don't know before purchasing a memory foam mattress is that it is temperature-sensitive. This means that they react to your body heat and mould to your body shape, which is why such patience is required to get it to the level of softness you need for your body.
Sun Exposure: Sunlight is a natural revitalizer for memory foam. Place your topper in direct sunlight for a few hours. The sun will help to evaporate any moisture trapped in the foam, which can be a cause of lumpiness.
Yes, memory foam pillows often get softer over time. Most of this softening will happen in the first few days. However, memory foam pillows do get softer with warmth each night too. On first contact it may feel too firm, but it will soften slightly in the first few minutes.
Vinegar, vegetable, and olive oil are natural products that easily dissolve uncured spray foam residue. As with chemical solvents like acetone, apply vinegar and let it sit on the foam residue for a few minutes. This helps soften the foam. Then, gently remove the foam without damaging the surface using a scraper.
Putting styrofoam into acetone is dramatic – a huge chunk melts away to nothing in seconds. Putting styrofoam into orange oil is less dramatic, but I could still see the styrofoam disappear quite quickly. About 4 tablespoons of acetone dissolved about 45 grams of styrofoam.
Yes, WD-40 does remove expanding foam as it can break down the foam residue.
One easy way is to turn up the thermostat in your bedroom. The added warmth will help to soften the foam, making it more comfortable to sleep on. You can also try placing a thin layer of fabric over the mattress. This will help absorb some body heat and make the mattress feel softer.
If you find your memory foam mattress too firm, there are ways to adjust its feel. Start by adding a softer mattress topper or pad to provide an extra layer of cushioning. You can also try using a mattress protector that has a padded or quilted surface.
Memory foam mattresses do soften over time. The heat and weight of your body will cause the mattress to become softer with just a few weeks of use.
What if the mattress still feels too firm? If you're waking up sore or stiff on your new mattress, Tyler mentions it's possible to put a plush mattress topper on your new mattress. The additional foam layer of pressure relief should make the mattress more comfortable if you're finding it feels too firm.
To accelerate this process, consider rolling back and forth on the mattress or spending a few minutes each day walking or crawling around on it. This will help loosen up the materials more quickly. Also, during the break-in period, it would be beneficial to allocate more time to rest on the mattress.
Sleeping on a mattress before it has expanded shouldn't alter the shape or comfort of the bed. The reason mattress manufacturers recommend avoiding sleeping on your mattress before 24 hours after you've unboxed it isn't because they think you may damage it.
If you're noticing body impressions from where you sleep, merely rotating the memory foam mattress can solve the sagging issue. Mattress manufacturers recommend rotating your mattress every three months. This practice evens out wear and tear, and may even extend the life of your mattress.