Foam has a lot more uses than just our custom packing products! A lot of the items around you will have some form of foam in it, from your phone case to your car seats. Today we’re here to tell you six places to look for foam in your home– specifically, polyurethane foam. But first, what even is polyurethane foam?
Polyurethane foam is open-cell foam available in different colors and densities for various applications. It can be anti-static and anti-abrasive for whatever needs come up, and it also comes in two different forms: ether and ester. Polyether polyurethane is a very common foam found in bedding, furniture, carpet underlay, and protective packaging. Polyester polyurethane foam is stronger and more flexible and is primarily used for medical applications, gasketing, and sealing. Both of these foams have their respective uses, and both are very common foams to find in everyday products! Let’s take a look at some rooms in your home and find the foam in each one.
- Living Room
First up, the room you spend arguably the most time relaxing in: the living room. Polyurethane foam is often crafted with human comfort in mind; density, firmness, durability, and quality all go into making the perfect cushions for couches and bay windows. Tough luxury foam is usually reserved for cushion purposes, but softer foam is often used for squishier cushions. Polyurethane foam is also used in carpet padding to make it plush and fluffy. - Kitchen
The kitchen also has several forms of foam present– but don’t worry, not in your groceries. Sponges and scrubbing tools have foam in them to compose the squishy, elastic sponges we use to wash dishes, and dining chair tables often use foam for cushions. Polyurethane coatings give floors a longer lifespan, a glossy sheen, and a protective layer that keeps it safe from the different elements present in the kitchen, like fire and water. If your floor recovers quickly from kitchen accidents, you have foam to thank for that– it also protects against scratches and dents, leaving your floors looking shiny and new for an immense time. - Bathroom
Scrub a dub dub, there’s foam in the tub! The bathroom is surprisingly full of foam products, and there’s foam of all different kinds here. Like in the kitchen, bathroom floors often have a polyurethane coating to keep it safe from water-rot, but the bathroom has lots of other foam applications present in skincare products and tools. Loofahs and multiple other exfoliating tools are made with foam, and some products like skin scrubs and face washes have foam in them, as well. Viabuff exfoliating puffs are made with specialized open-cell polyurethane foam that avoids bacteria buildup, so they last even longer than regular loofahs, and there’s different levels of exfoliation for everyone’s different skin needs. - The Walls
While we don’t recommend breaking in to check this one out, we’re here to tell you about the foam that hides in your house’s walls. Depending on where you live, thermal insulation is a huge necessity to help tackle the colder months, and avoid the heat in the warmer months. Low-density rigid polyurethane comes in clutch to provide insulation for your home by keeping the heat out (or in) whenever you need it, dramatically decreasing your heating and cooling bills as a result. Foam insulation also helps the environment by cutting carbon emissions down, which helps decrease the amount of energy used to keep the house’s temperature regulated. Polyurethane foam also has a long life span (some can last up to fifty years!) and needs zero maintenance to do its job, making it a stellar choice when building a home. - The Bedroom (and in the closet)
Get comfy, because foam appears in all sorts of places in the bedroom and dressing room– or your closet if you don’t want to be fancy. Mattresses are full of foam, whether it be super-soft and temporary foam (typically reserved for baby mattresses), or more rigid memory foam for those of us who like a solid mattress at night. Inside the closet foam can be found in the soles of your shoes; athletic footwear depends on polyurethane foam’s flexibility to provide a supporting and comfortable base, as well as allowing the bend and stretch that a foot’s natural motion needs. Foam also naturally protects against foot odor! The strap of your watch also has foam in it, when the wearer needs flexibility and comfort for the strap itself. Polyurethane foam is also incredibly strong, so it can withhold several pounds of weight with no problem! - The Garage
Beep beep! Foam is here in the garage as well, ready to help in any home improvement jobs you need doing or long car trips you’ll be taking. Cushions are a no-brainer when it comes to foam, and your car’s seats have some of the best comfortable and durable polyurethane foam making your road trips as comfy as possible. As for home improvement jobs, polyurethane foam is present in the form of elastomers, a very resilient and elastic form of foam that can be utilized in a few different ways. Gaskets, paint rollers, and gel pads all have elastomers in them, so next time you paint your walls, thank polyurethane foam for the ease of your paint roller doing the job.
Were you surprised by some of the different applications of foam? As your resident foam experts, we know all there is to know about different forms of foam and where you can find it. When it comes to foam packaging, we’ve got the goods, no matter your packing needs. Check out our website for more info, and make sure to utilize Sterling for all your foam-needing jobs!
