How to disinfect foam rubber?

John929295 · Post by **John929295** » Sat Nov 02, 2019 6:12 pm

How can I disinfect foam-rubber? I need that information, if I want to disinfect a hugging doll, that was homemade from a bed-matress or couch cushion. So this question is not about TPE or silicone.

For example, is it safe to use a bleach solution in water, or will that deteriorate the foam rubber quality?

An advantage of a homemade foam doll is that I can replace it low cost, if it is worn down, or damaged.

dbenzguy · Post by **dbenzguy** » Sat Nov 02, 2019 7:14 pm

There are so many different formulas to achieve foam rubber, it would be extremely important to know the composition of the foam before determining what may or may not harm it.

John929295 · Post by **John929295** » Sat Nov 02, 2019 7:20 pm

dbenzguy wrote:There are so many different formulas to achieve foam rubber, it would be extremely important to know the composition of the foam before determining what may or may not harm it.

Thanks, I think you're right. I can experiment with slivers of the same foam rubber in different concentrations of bleach solution, for a fixed period. What period and bleach concentration in water is needed for adequate disinfection?

Of course I will rinse off the bleach thoroughly a number of times, after the disinfection treatment of a foam doll.

dbenzguy · Post by **dbenzguy** » Sat Nov 02, 2019 8:45 pm

I would think that a 1:1 mix of water to bleach would be more than sufficient to kill everything. I've never used bleach on my dolls so I can only assume based on general cleaning recommendations that say to wipe it on and let it air dry.

Test, test and test again

John929295 · Post by **John929295** » Sun Nov 03, 2019 12:51 am

dbenzguy wrote:I can only assume based on general cleaning recommendations that say to wipe it on and let it air dry.

After disinfection the bleach should be rinsed off completely, since chlorine is a very toxic and irritant chemical.

dbenzguy · Post by **dbenzguy** » Sun Nov 03, 2019 7:36 am

Absolutely... I would rinse it several times!

John929295 · Post by **John929295** » Sun Nov 03, 2019 7:46 pm

dbenzguy wrote:I've never used bleach on my dolls so I can only assume based on general cleaning recommendations that say to wipe it on and let it air dry.

Foam rubber from a coach-cushion or bed-matress most times has an open cell-structure. Hence it has to be fully soaked in a disinfecting solution for a certain amount of time, to be disinfected.

I have soaked a sliver of regular yellow-gray couch-cushion foam in bleach, for a 22-hour period, at room temperature, as an experiment.

Directly after that period the bleach was still liquid. Then I rinsed the foam rubber sliver twenty times with clean water, while pressing the water through it. After quick drying in a dry cloth, that sliver was not visibly changed in any way, in shape, structure, color or texture.

The bleach used consisted of 4% sodium hypochlorite in water solution, as in regular bleach products, without further dilution by me.

That concentration and 22 hour time-period are much stronger and longer, than necessary for disinfection.

Yet I have read several warnings on the internet, that foam-rubber would not be resistant to disinfection with bleach. Maybe that advise applies to other types of foam- rubber than I have tested in this experiment, or that advise is unjustified.

dbenzguy · Post by **dbenzguy** » Sun Nov 03, 2019 7:53 pm

John929295 wrote:
dbenzguy wrote:I've never used bleach on my dolls so I can only assume based on general cleaning recommendations that say to wipe it on and let it air dry.
... Maybe that advise is for other types of foam rubber than I have ested in this expepriment.

Glad to see that your testing is going well!
I didn't find any recommendations on foam rubber, just general cleaning instructions. It sounds like your method should kill practically anything that gets into the foam