Why does my New Area Rug Smell like Gas?

    Brand New area rugs tend to have an exotic odor. This can be due to a number of factors, I will quickly list a few...

1. New Rugs are often packaged for shipment as soon as they are completed, whether hand-made or machine-made, they are quickly placed in an air tight plastic bag or container. These new rugs have not yet been allowed to outgas (allow smelly stuff to dissipate) before packaging and shipping directly to you. This can often be the number one reason for smelly New Rugs.

2. Some New Rugs will have an exotic smell based on the area or region that they were constructed. Certain chemicals in the dyes, washes and rinses used in rug manufacture can account for some smells. I have had people tell me that a rug made in India smells like India, and a rug made in Thailand smells like Thailand (I guess you would have to spend time there to know this. I can attest to certain decor items that smell like the countries or cities I have visited in the Far East).

3. Some of the Foulest smelling New Rugs have a very distinct odor and a very distinct reason for that smell. Most area rugs use some form of latex to insure a good bond between the fibers and the backing of the rug. This smell is directly proportional to the amount of latex used, some rugs have a solid latex layer on the back and these are the type that I am always warning people not to use over a cherished flooring such as vinyl, hard-wood and laminates, because they will eventually cause damage to such flooring not to mention that it takes them longer to outgas. There are also two types of latex used depending on the region where the rug was made. There is Natural Latex and Synthetic Latex. Natural latex has a stronger smell than synthetic latex. It can manifest as anything between a burned rubber smell to a smell that reminds us of gasoline.

    The best way to keep the strongest odors out of your home is to unwrap your new area rug outdoors, in the garage or a patio and allow it some time to outgas before you bring it into your home. Just a day or two outdoors can outgas a majority of the strongest smells, but your rug may continue to smell for a week or two. It can take some rugs even longer to outgas if the manufacturer used natural latex. Some rugs never do fully outgas or may seem okay until you spill something on it or have it cleaned and the smell gets stronger again. Many synthetic rug pads may also need out-gassing before interior use.

    You can minimize your chances of dealing with a really smelly rug by buying a wool fiber rug with a standard heat-set backing from a reputable source and ventilate the room by cracking open some windows for the first few days (72 hours) after you unpackage your new area rug.

Charles Beason,

www.RugRunnerBiz.com

Fine Wool Area Rugs and Home Decor Items

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A Unique Time in the History and Economy of Wool Area Rugs

We are living in an era where Oil Prices are driving the condition of our Economy. Overall, this seems to have a negative impact on the prices of every home decor item that we purchase. Flooring prices have nearly doubled in the past two years ("talk about sticker shock"). However, upon examination we find that there are some positive attributes that can only exist at this moment in History and in this present Economy.

    Area Rugs have had a special place in the history of mankind, and the economy of Home Decor. The Medo-Persian Empire is given much credit for ancient trade in area rugs. We have physical evidence of intricate hand-made area rugs from the 1st century BC. Although we perceive that rugs, in the form of fleeces and hand-made rugs of all types of fibers would have been produced and traded before this empire came to power, it was largely their influence that made it a commodity that was traded throughout the known world at that time in history. It would be hard to imagine any caravan traveling from one city to another that would not have been laden with "exotic" area rugs for their high-end clients. That's right, most area rugs in that era would only be affordable to the affluent members of society. In fact, area rugs would not become affordable to the average household until the 19th century AD. That is when machine production, and less expensive fibers would become used in the manufacturing processes of area rugs, eventually making them a more affordable home decor product.

    The economy of area rugs grew by leaps and bounds as machine-made processes reached a point where an imitation of hand-made rugs were affordable by the average middle-income family. In the beginning, these machine-made rugs were using cotton, wool, and even silk fibers. Area rugs became affordable as well as being a well built home decor product. In my estimation, things soon took a turn for the worse with the advent of petroleum based man-made fibers. When nylon fiber (a petroleum based fiber) was first introduced in the manufacture of area rugs, things could not have seemed better. I am trying to keep this short so I will not discuss other man-made fibers that were being experimented with and used. Nylon fiber had shown that it was a great economical replacement for wool, it was also a strong fiber that resisted soil and stains well. Crude oil was plentiful and cheap, so nylon became the "It" fiber for a generation of post-war, economically secure nation of consumers.  It soon became the industry standard for area rugs and wall-to-wall carpet.

    Fast forward a generation or two and oil is beginning to become expensive. This is where the story becomes sad for me. Rug manufacturers begin to use less expensive polypropylene, olefin and polyester fibers. In the beginning these less expensive and inferior fiber rugs were sold as a disposable commodity. The fuzzy bathroom rug and the "welcome" mat in your foyer were never meant to last long or clean well. You simply used them for a season and then tossed them in the garbage where they would begin their journey to the land-fill. Although I still consider these types of rugs to be disposable, the rug industry has managed to convince a generation of consumers that these fibers can be a good alternative to the now more expensive nylon, "after all, they are both man-made fibers" aren't they? Contrary to modern marketing, these fibers will always be considered sub-standard, as far as I am concerned. I was truly appalled when the Big, Brand Name Rug Makers were trying to convince me of the positive attributes of polypropylene and that they could be sold as a high-end home decor product as long as a pretty pattern of colors were printed on them. I see these rugs in the chain-stores and all over the Internet, marketed and sold as if they were a good quality product and part of that is due to our economy. As nylon fiber rugs become more expensive, they will simply pass off a polypropylene rug, as if it were a decent product.

    This is where the good news begins. A very unique circumstance of our economy is the fact that petroleum based, man-made fibers are becoming more and more expensive, while wool fiber has become abundant and economical. This means that you can buy wool fiber area rugs for the same price as nylon, and oftentimes less. Even hand-made wool rugs are competing with machine made nylon rugs. This is a unique time in history. I have extolled the virtues of wool area rugs for many years. Wool area rugs are simply a superior product for your money, and now they are more affordable than ever. Now is the best time to buy a fine wool area rug for your home decor. Conditions are perfect for finding a quality rug at a discounted price, and you can be assured that all the rugs we feature on our web site will be a great value and they will stand the test of time.

Charles Beason,

www.RugRunnerBiz.com  - Fine Wool Area Rugs and Home Decor Items

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Why do my Rug Runners Curl, Wrinkle and Travel?

www.RugRunnerBiz.com - Fine Wool Area Rugs and Home Decor Items - Tip of the day

Using the wrong type of Rug Runner is the main reason for problems with rug runners in Home Decor use.

    Most rug runners that are sold by the foot were actually designed for stairways. They are usually a flat-weave construction and were designed to be tacked or stapled in place. Many people try to use these type of rug runners on the main wear areas in foyers and hallways. This seems like a good idea, especially if you have a good wall-to-wall carpet that you are trying to protect, or an ugly floor you are trying to cover.

    The problems that arise from using a flat-weave over carpet are due to the fact that they were not designed for this purpose. They do not have enough weight, and do not have a sturdy backing, therefore they are not able to lay flat (especially on top of carpet). When you choose a runner, and you desire it to take most of the abuse from foot traffic in your home, you need to choose a runner that is NOT a flat-weave. A standard cut-pile area rug runner is the best choice for this type of application. Choose a runner that has a standard heat-set backing, and most importantly, choose a runner that has substance. When I say substance I mean that the rug runner should have enough weight to allow gravity to keep it in it's intended position. A twelve to fourteen mm. height has density that is usually enough for such a purpose. A better quality rug runner will not wrinkle or curl the way that a flat-weave does, however, most rugs or runners will tend to crawl (or travel) in the direction of the carpet nap. If your rug runner has substance and proper backing, it will not move around much. A few inches per week under normal traffic (not nearly as much as a flat-weave runner).

    Edge Curling can also occur as a result of improper vacuuming. See our web site for tips on preventing edge curl. For best results, do not use the beater bar on the edges of any rug whether surged or bound. Using a vacuum with a beater bar is the number one cause of most rug edge curling.

    It is my opinion that Wool is the best kind of fiber for a rug or runner for indoor use and there are a multitude of color and pattern choices that will fit your home decor. They offer much better performance than a synthetic fiber flat-weave rug runner. Shopping for a good quality rug runner on the Internet will usually afford you the best quality rug runner for your money by cutting out the high mark-up of most retail stores. I have selected some of the better deals I have found online on my web site and have added some runners to my selections.

Article by Charles Beason,

www.RugRunnerBiz.com  --- Fine Area Rugs and Home Decor Items.

This article is copyright (C) Charles Beason. It may be reprinted in its entirety as long as the by-line and hyperlink  remains intact.

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