When you purchase a tufted area rug give it a sniff test.
Rug off gassing time.
New latex gives off a noxious odor also called off gassing that may make you feel lightheaded dizzy or nauseous.
So what can you do about off gassing rugs.
What vocs new carpet may emit are short lived and largely dissipate within 24 to 48 hours.
The easiest way to handle off gassing rugs is to avoid buying them in the first place.
If you smell and offensive odor do not buy that rug.
Off gassing from carpeting can continue for several years or more and the worst is generally off loaded in the beginning years of the product use so that is the best time to take actions.
Put your nose up to the backing of the rug and sniff it.
Off gassing fades by itself over time but if you d rather not wait you can help.
If this is the case for you it is a good idea to open the windows after a carpet installation to allow the room to air out for a while.
That odor is what the rug itself will start to smell like within a year or so.
And this occurs even faster with fresh air ventilation as well as vacuuming.
There really isn t a window of time where it stops being a health hazard.