Most common in rugs that have a covered backing, and from India, you may smell burning rubber emanating from your rug. Known as hand tufted rugs this odor is the latex holding the rug together that off-gases under certain conditions, and may even leave a white powdery sand on your floor. The odor cannot be eliminated or treated to much success. The odor of this glued latex can be accentuated if:
- You have radiant heat.
- The area rug is brand new.
- The rug is wet.
- The rug is deteriorating.
If the rug odor gets worse after vacuuming it, you can bet its deteriorating.
We do not suggest immersion washing these hand tufted rugs. Low moisture hand cleaning, or a simple in-house freshen up will be all you need. If the odor is causing headaches or just too much to handle, you should consider replacing the rug.