As consumers, we often buy products without questioning where they come from or how they are made. These are important questions that directly affect us and our planet. This is why we want to share with you how our organic latex mattresses are made.
Rubber Tree
Latex comes from the sap of rubber trees (hevea brasilienses). These trees are most commonly found in Southeast Asia and take around 6 years to grow large enough to produce sap. Each tree can live up to 100 years.
Harvesters collect the sap from the rubber trees like how they collect the syrup from maples in Quebec – they tap them. The sap will flow for up to 6 hours in a day but can be tapped again the following day. Tapping the rubber trees will not harm them or cause any pollution. To make a queen size latex mattress, harvesters would have to collect sap from 12 acres of rubber trees for a whole day.
Processing
There are two ways in which latex foam for mattresses can be made from the sap: the Dunlop method and the Talalay method.
Dunlop
First, the liquid sap is mixed to the consistency of a foam, then it is placed into a mould. This mould is then placed into an oven where the mixture solidifies. After this is done, the solidified latex foam is washed and then dried with hot air.
This method can make large sized mattress from a single mould.
Talalay
Like in the Dunlop method, the sap is mixed to the consistency of a foam. It is placed into a mould which is then sealed closed. A vacuum is applied to even out the liquid latex inside. Once this is done, the mould is flash frozen then flash heated to solidify the latex.
This method makes smaller blocks of latex, so larger mattresses would require assemblage.
Because our latex comes from a natural source and is not treated with pesticides or growth hormones, it is organic. Buying organic is important as it is healthier for us as consumers and also for the workers involved in the production of organic goods. So, when shopping for your next mattress, consider buying one of our organic latex mattresses.
Call us or come visit us at Majestic Mattress where we’re always happy to help you!