Are Polypropylene Rugs Toxic? Polypropylene Rugs Off Gassing Effects

 

Are polypropylene rugs toxic to humans, animals and the environment?

To be able to answer that question I will explore the following in this post;

We will look at polypropylene rugs pros and cons to help you decide if the benefits of buying a Polypropylene rug outweigh its disadvantages.

We will also explore the effects of polypropylene rugs off gassing to help you decide if the VOC’s released by such rugs pose any extreme health dangers to you.

I shall also recommend some of the best non-toxic rugs made from Polypropylene if you looking for options to consider.

You can also check out this polypropylene rug cleaning guide to understand how you can get out smells and other forms of dirt out for such rugs.

Another useful guide is this one on rugs safe for crawling babies which will help you decide if polypropylene rugs are safe for babies or not.

If your rug has folds, wrinkles, dents or ripples, you can check out this guide on how to get creases out of polypropylene rugs.

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Polypropylene Rugs Pros And Cons?

 

Pros

Economical: Such rugs are often inexpensive which means they are very affordable.

Aesthetic: They come in many colors making them very beautiful in your home.

Stain-resistant: The spills and other messes caused by kids are easy to get off.

Colorfast: The dyes in such rugs do not run or shed.

Moisture-resistant: These rugs are water-resistant which makes them ideal for outdoor spaces like pool areas or in high water prone areas like kitchen.

Lightweight: This feature makes the transportation of such a rug easy. For example, you can bring an outdoor rug to the inside daily to protect it from the rain without getting to tired.

Easy of cleaning: Spot cleaning, vacuuming, sweeping are some of the simple ways to make sure your Polypropylene is always clean.

Versatile: It can be used in both indoor and outdoor spaces in your home. You can use it in the kitchen, entryways, pool areas, wood decks, dining room and any other space in your home.

CONS

Non-resilient: If you choose to use your Polypropylene rug on high traffic areas, you must remember that its fibers can never go back to their original position once they are damaged.

Not resistant to heat: All synthetic materials tend to melt and fade when exposed to too much heat.

Has toxic chemicals: Read the section on “polypropylene rug toxic” below to discover some of the ways a Polypropylene rug is toxic to humans, animals and the environment.

 

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Are Polypropylene  Toxic?

No.

Polypropylene is a plastic derived from petroleum and used for many purposes in our society.

FDA has approved the use of Polypropylene in food containers like those holding yoghurt, soda and more.

EPA also argues that its more environmentally friendly than other types of plastics, hence the widespread use.

It’s also safer than other fabrics since its less flammable. It possibility of causing cancer is also low.

It contains small amounts of BPA in comparison to other types of plastics which makes it safer.

However,

When poorly manufactured, Polypropylene can end up having high quantities of Bisphenol A (BPA) and other chemicals making it highly toxic to humans, animals and the environment.

For example, below are ways a Polypropylene rug can be toxic.

 

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Polypropylene Rugs Off Gassing

Off-gassing also known as out-gassing is the release of smells out of a new rug caused by the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used during the manufacture of the rug.

Apart from rugs, those compounds can be found in new furniture, plastic, cars, mattresses, cosmetics and clothing among others.

In carpets and rugs, the smell is commonly known as “new carpet smell”

Effects of off-gassing

Below are some of the signs you shall experience when you are the effects of off-gassing.

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Asthmatic reactions

Long-term exposure to those gases can result in serious medical conditions like leukemia, cognitive impairment and hearing loss among others.

 

How to reduce VOCs in your home

• Use fragrance-free shampoos instead of scented one to clean your rugs.
• Take your rugs to CRI testing program to make sure they do not have high levels of VOCs.
• Make sure the rug is easy to clean so that you will not have to use heavy chemicals to remove stains.
• Vacuum the new rug with a HEPA filter vacuum or clean it with hot water extraction method to remove most VOCs and keep them from escaping into the atmosphere.

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