Hand tufted rug stinks of chemicals..

[MamaBee]

I just replaced my hand knotted wool Persian rug with a hand tufted wool rug. It’s the same rug that a famous store sells..but Amazon was selling it from a different vendor..but it’s the same rug. I didn’t want to get another hand knotted rug because I will be moving in a few years....I don’t know what size I’ll need there...It’s a beautiful color and really changed the look of the living room. Unfortunately..it stinks of chemicals..My husband put it down yesterday. I was very happy with it...It matched my new paint in the dining room. This morning I took my iPad in to sit on the couch like I do every morning..I smelled a strong odor of chemicals. My throat burned and my chest burned a little. I had to get up and move to the kitchen. The rug was made in India. I did some research and found that there has been problems with these rugs...I’m wondering if any of you have these type of rugs with this smell. Did it go away? The thought of asking my husband to roll the rug up and put it back into a skinny plastic bag..has me a little concerned he will be pretty upset. I do change things around a lot..and he is a good sport...but his back isn’t great...Any thoughts?

 

[Gussie]

Take a few dryer sheets and lay it on the rug for a day or so. You can also sprinkle with baking soda and vacuum it after an hour or so.

 

[MamaBee]

Take a few dryer sheets and lay it on the rug for a day or so. You can also sprinkle with baking soda and vacuum it after an hour or so.

Thank you @Gussie...I’m running to get the dryer sheets now...

 

[doberman]

Can you air it outside for a while and then cover it with baking soda (both sides) and vaccuum?

 

[MamaBee]

@Gussie I hope this works..hahaha

 

[MamaBee]

Can you air it outside for a while and then cover it with baking soda (both sides) and vaccuum?

Thank you @doberman It’s too big or I would definitely do that..

 

[JPie]

Nice rug! Sorry to hear about the chemical smell. The EPA recommends leaving windows open for 72 hours and using fans. More info here: https://ecologycenter.org/blog/ask-the-ecoteam-my-new-carpet-is-off-gassing/

 

[monarch64]

LOL dryer sheets are full of chemicals; they just smell better. Can you air it out in your garage or outside somewhere in the shade?

 

[MamaBee]

Nice rug! Sorry to hear about the chemical smell. The EPA recommends leaving windows open for 72 hours and using fans. More info here: https://ecologycenter.org/blog/ask-the-ecoteam-my-new-carpet-is-off-gassing/

Thanks @JPie..I read that article! I can’t vent to the outside because I have a large pond in the back yard. I would have a family of gnats moving in. I will try placing the fan to blow out of the living room. My husband thinks I’m Lucille Ball. I think I agree with him..

 

[MamaBee]

LOL dryer sheets are full of chemicals; they just smell better. Can you air it out in your garage or outside somewhere in the shade?

Thanks @monarch64 I’m thinking I may have to return it if the odor doesn’t dissipate..and the garage floor is not clean. The rug is too big..

 

[chemgirl]

So it needs time of off-gas. One reason why textile certifications like Greenguard and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 are a thing. This shouldn’t happened, but unfortunately it does and there isn’t much you can do beyond airing it out.

 

[MamaBee]

So it needs time of off-gas. One reason why textile certifications like Greenguard and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 are a thing. This shouldn’t happened, but unfortunately it does and there isn’t much you can do beyond airing it out.

Thank you @chemgirl Do you think the odor will lessen with time? My husband said it was a mild odor. I seem to be more sensitive. I’m going to try keeping a fan on it all day tomorrow.

 

[Gussie]

Anytime I buy something that comes in plastic wrap there tends to be a smell. I bought a rug earlier this year and the chemical smell was there. It went away in a few days. I also bought a latex mattress topper and the smell was overwhelming. But it didn't last long.

 

[LightBright]

Thanks @monarch64 I’m thinking I may have to return it if the odor doesn’t dissipate..and the garage floor is not clean. The rug is too big..

I’m so sorry this is happening,your rug is beautiful. I’m a stickler and won’t support companies that create products which result in toxic off-gassing. Honestly, I’d return it ASAP and write a scathing review on Amazon. Then, look up companies that sell eco friendly rugs and support them. Good luck.

 

[cmd2014]

Thank you @chemgirl Do you think the odor will lessen with time? My husband said it was a mild odor. I seem to be more sensitive. I’m going to try keeping a fan on it all day tomorrow.

Yes. I’m sensitive to off gassing too (new carpets always get me), but in a few days it will be better, and in a few weeks you won’t notice it at all. I’d open screened in windows and put out fans to speed it along.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

LOL dryer sheets are full of chemicals; they just smell better. Can you air it out in your garage or outside somewhere in the shade?

This! You just added chemicals.
It's not about the smell, it's about the chemicals that need to evaporate. A day or two outside should do the trick. Or two or three days in the living room with the windows open...

 

[MamaBee]

Thank you @Gussie @LightBright @cmd2014 I won’t buy this kind of rug for a large room anymore..but I love this rug so will hope the smell goes away. The fan is going in today..It’s hot here and the air is on so not sure I can open a window...We have a pond=gnats.. My house is a good size so it will be ventilated with the fan. Fingers crossed!

 

[Cluless]

Hi Mamabean, if the smell doesn't go away in a few days try a deep clean of the carpet it may speed up the process. Good luck it is a beautiful carpet

 

[missy]

Hi @Mamabean it is a very pretty area rug. I was going to recommend airing it out and deep cleaning it as well so I have nothing new to add.

I am sorry you are dealing with this. I too am very chemical sensitive and we cannot even use regular cleaning products in our house as they are too offensive and irritating to my senses. I agree that you should definitely never purchase from them again and while it is a lovely rug you can find more ecofriendly rugs in the future.

Good luck and hope a few days of leaving the windows open and fans on and perhaps cleaning it does the trick.

 

[MamaBee]

Thank you @Cluless and @missy...My husband put two fans blowing out of the room. He doesn’t smell anything..It’s so weird because it smells strong to me.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Thank you @Cluless and @missy...My husband put two fans blowing out of the room. He doesn’t smell anything..It’s so weird because it smells strong to me.

Last time I bought a cheap-ish (but eco certed !) rug for the kid's playroom it was the same for us: I could smell it from the hallway, while hubby didn't smell ANYTHING and couldn't understand why I wanted to bring it back. Just to say: you're not going mad or anything... The smell DID go away, though. Hang in there!

 

[VRBeauty]

I once bought a pair of earrings from Brian Gavin that came in fancy wooden box. The box absolutely reeked of chemicals. The box was banished to my (vented) basement, where it was left open to off-gas, but you could smell the odor weeks later.

As for your rug, consider doing what you’re doing for a few more days, and then close the house up tight for a few hours while you’re gone. See if you can still detect the odor when you return. If so, I’d return it (in fact I’d probably already have returned it). My health trumps my decor. And bear in mind that you’ll also be walking bare-foot on it, and in stocking feet, and maybe sitting even sitting on it.

 

[msop04]

I just replaced my hand knotted wool Persian rug with a hand tufted wool rug. It’s the same rug that a famous store sells..but Amazon was selling it from a different vendor..but it’s the same rug. I didn’t want to get another hand knotted rug because I will be moving in a few years....I don’t know what size I’ll need there...It’s a beautiful color and really changed the look of the living room. Unfortunately..it stinks of chemicals..My husband put it down yesterday. I was very happy with it...It matched my new paint in the dining room. This morning I took my iPad in to sit on the couch like I do every morning..I smelled a strong odor of chemicals. My throat burned and my chest burned a little. I had to get up and move to the kitchen. The rug was made in India. I did some research and found that there has been problems with these rugs...I’m wondering if any of you have these type of rugs with this smell. Did it go away? The thought of asking my husband to roll the rug up and put it back into a skinny plastic bag..has me a little concerned he will be pretty upset. I do change things around a lot..and he is a good sport...but his back isn’t great...Any thoughts?

Unfortunately, I think that's just the nature of them... mine had a smell and would shed very badly. The smell went away and the shedding stopped after some time.

 

[msop04]

I wanted to add that every hand tufted rug I've every heard of (friends, family, and mine) had that smell and shedding... and these aren't cheap/thin rugs ($1600+ for 8x10ish). I'm not sure what brand everyone else has, but mine are all by Nourison and are very dense and thick.

 

[PintoBean]

I'd put an old bedsheet down in the garage and move the rug there to off gas.

 

[Arcadian]

Last time I bought a rug I let it sit outside for the day. It was gross. The ONLY rug that didn't get drenched with chemicals is the one my dad sent me from Afganistan while he served. That was a handmade tribal rug.

If I recall my Hazard training correctly, when goods are imported by a company outside the US and going by container ship, they usually apply stuff to the goods to keep them from molding/rotting and to keep any bugs from eating them (usually in the case of fabrics). Thats usually done prior to putting them in plastic bags/boxes.

 

[lambskin]

What does the back of the rug look like? Can you see the knots or is it covered? If there is a backing on the rug it may not be getting ventilation underneath to help dissipate the odor. Could you rent a shampooer and wash the rug with neutralizing soaps and vinager? Could Febreeze help?

 

[JPie]

If I recall my Hazard training correctly, when goods are imported by a company outside the US and going by container ship, they usually apply stuff to the goods to keep them from molding/rotting and to keep any bugs from eating them (usually in the case of fabrics). Thats usually done prior to putting them in plastic bags/boxes.

I’ve heard the same. It happens to clothes too and I had a coworker who was extremely allergic to those chemicals.