There are three steps to understand how to cut a foam mattress. This is a useful skill, whether you’re upcycling your old mattress or you’re trying to get rid of it. Maybe you’re even considering making your own mattress.
You can always get your foam cut from stores, but you can do it yourself in the comfort of your own home with the guide below. You don’t even need complicated tools or skills to do so! Continue reading this article to learn more tricks for foam cutting.
How Do You Cut A Foam Mattress At Home?
Step #1. Measure
As with cutting any material, you want to measure your foam mattress before starting the process. Please take off the cover and lining until you’re left with just the mattress foam. Depending on the product you have, you may need to remove both the inner lining and zippered cover.
You’ll need to cut it with scissors for the former, so be mindful not to slice the foam inside accidentally. Once you have the foam, determine the size you need for the project. A measuring tape would be ideal because it is steady, and you can use a marker to mark the cutting points.
You also want to place the measuring tape and hold the mattress without pressure. If you press on the material, you’ll end up distorting its shape, and this can affect the dimensions. Mark the lines using the marker and a ruler or a paper stencil if the shape is curved.
Step #2. Cut
Place the marked foam mattress on a surface, ready for cutting. However, remember that the marked part should be hanging off, so you don’t end up damaging the surface underneath. Then, prepare the best equipment for a clean-cut, which is an electric carving knife.
It won’t leave jagged edges as a regular kitchen knife would. But if you don’t have an electric carving knife, you can always opt to cover the cut foam mattress to hide the edge when you cut with a regular serrated kitchen knife or sharp scissors. Hold your cutter at a 90-degree angle at the edge and cut in an up and down motion.
If you notice that your knife failed to cut all the way through, you can always flip the mattress and mark another line on this side. Cut this part until you meet the other side. Once done, pull out the knife and go on to the next step.
Step #3. Finish
Now that you have the cut foam mattress check its size if the dimensions are correct. If you happen to end up with something smaller, you can always place another piece inside the cover to reach the size you need. Finally, smooth out the edges by removing the jagged parts before covering your newly cut foam mattress.
Because you’ve changed the foam mattress size, you won’t be using its previous cover. Make sure that you’ll adjust it or get a new one to get the best fit. Altering your old cover should be easy as long as your measurements are correct.
What Is The Easiest Way To Cut Foam?
You can consider that following the guide above is the easiest way to cut foam. The right supplies before you cut play a significant role in cutting foam efficiently. While you can use scissors or a kitchen knife, an electric knife is ideal to avoid a jagged edge.
Another useful tip to remember is to avoid compressing the foam as you cut. It may seem sensible to press it and make quick cuts while it’s condensed, but this will cause uneven edges. You want to minimize the pressure on the foam as much as possible to get a clean finish.
An up and down motion is best, and the electric knife will do this for you. On the other hand, you can have a smooth experience with a sharp knife in a back and forth sawing motion. Let the blade do the work for you without applying force or speed for better control and to avoid a sloppy cut.
What Is The Best Tool To Cut Memory Foam?
Perhaps you need to cut a memory foam mattress, and for this instance, you can use the similar recommended tools earlier. The best one would be an electric knife because you’ll just slide it onto the memory foam to get a clean cut. However, you can also use a carving knife because it has a serrated blade that is best for straight cuts using minimal effort from sawing back and forth.
If both these tools are unavailable, you can use a utility knife or heavy-duty scissors. Since you don’t want a jagged edge on the cut memory foam, make light passes with the utility knife instead of using it as a carving knife. Start with a shallow cut and then deepen it with another slice.
The heavy-duty scissor would be the trickiest tool to use, and it’s only best if your memory foam is thin. Make short snips first to ensure that you’ll cut the proper size. But regardless of the tool you use, remember never to compress your memory foam while you’re cutting.
Conclusion
As you have read, you can resize your foam mattress easily at home. Knowing how to cut a foam mattress will always be useful, whether you’re making a new bed or reusing old material. Just remember the tricks above, and you should end up with a cleanly cut foam mattress.