In my business I have had several experiences involving odor coming from gun –tufted area rugs, especially those made in third world countries, that can not be eliminated.
The following are articles describing this problem. The first is from Ruth Travis, a well known IICRC instructor and expert in oriental and area rugs, and the other is from a rug designer from a blog that I recently read. This is a very well known and complicated problem:
Odors in Hand-Tufted Area Rugs
Hand-tufted rugs from the Middle East, particularly from India, Pakistan andeven China, have become increasingly popular with consumers over the past several years. Although these rugs are made by hand (and thus the consumer thinks they’re buying a true Persian rug), the way in which wool or other pile yarns such as cotton or acrylic are inserted into the rug’s backing is unlike traditional knotting techniques used in Oriental rugs.
As opposed to being hand knotted, the pile of a hand tufted carpet or rug is created with a tufting gun.Using a hand held tufting gun, the fabricator inserts yarn into a cotton base cloth to create the pattern. Sometimes this cloth is pre-stenciled with water soluble markers which may bleed when the rug is cleaned. After the pattern is completed with all colors of yarn in the appropriate sections, the backside is covered with a layer of flexible latex adhesive.
A common problem with these rugs is a persistent, sometimes putrid odor coming from the latex back coating. Many rugs sold by mail order retailers are notorious for this condition. The smell may range from “diesel fuel” or “burnt oil” to “dead animal” type odors coming out of the latex. The rugs may have the odor in the store, but it becomes more noticeable when the consumer places it in the home.
There is no definitive reason for the odor, but it may be caused by defective, low-quality latex adhesive or the fillers used in the latex at the time of rug manufacture. Perhaps the latex is not given enough time to “cure” or dry completely before the rug is shipped overseas and during transport the latex may absorb diesel fuel odors.
Unfortunately, no amount of professional cleaning or deodorization will permanently remove the odor. Believe me, I’ve tried many types of topical deodorizers as well as complete submersion in decontamination solutions. Nothing helped. In fact in many cases, the cleaning or application of topical treatments actually amplified the odor. This condition is a defect in the rug or carpet originating from the manufacturer or distributor. The consumer should be advised to return the rug for replacement or a complete refund.
RuthTravis
ruglady@mindspring.com
Ruth Travis is the director of the WoolSafe Organization in North America. She holds a degree in Textiles from the University of Tennessee. She is Past-President of the IICRC and Society of Cleaning and Restoration Technicians. She is an IICRC-Certified Master Textile Cleaner, Master Fire and Smoke Restorer, Journeyman Water Damage Restorer and a Carpet, Laminate and Resilient Flooring Inspector. Ruth specializes in carpet color correction for major carpet mills and consumers. She is an IICRC-approved Instructor in Color Repair, Rug Cleaning and Senior Carpet Inspector. For more information go to www.ruglady.info or www.woolsafeusa.com
I design rugs from India and know all about this smell- it's the 'glue' breaking down as others have noted.
There is a layer of latex that is applied to the rug backing to adhere the tufts/hooks of fiber into the cotton base. Some rugs are left this way - you'd see a mesh type look on the back. Most do have another cotton, canvas type backing to cover it up. So the latex is now sandwiched in there and just getting stinky. Most manufacturers in India use a natural latex and not a synthetic, and many do break down unfortunately over time.
I know people who have had success with letting nature do the work- ie sunlight as mentioned- but keep in mind these yarns usually don't have a UV treatment on them so don't keep them out long term. This should work if it's a fairly new rug. People who start to have this problem after a couple of years I've found aren't able to get the smell out.
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