Question from Greenmom
Hi Debra, Do felt/jute pads for area rugs have fungicide or pesticide? They claim to be Mold/mildew/moth resistant and I’m wondering whats used to achieve that?
Specifically, I’m looking at this: www.rugpadcorner.com/shop/ultra-premium/
Thank you for all the help, you are a great resource!
Debra’s Answer
Well, I called the company (you can call them too) and was told there are “no chemicals, glues, or adhesives” in any of their products. They only use recycled or natural materials.
They may be making the claim to be mold/mildew/moth resistant because of the natural latex rubber. I specifically asked if there were pesticides or fungicides and they said that the manufacturer says there are none.
This pad might smell like latex, but otherwise, this site looks like a good find!
Thankyou Debra 🙂
In regards to Rug Pad Corner products, I would like to comment on my experiences with this company. I am pretty stricy about using the most natural products in my client’s homes (I am an interior designer0, so when I discovered my previous supplier resorted to those inexpensive imported rug pads, a search led me to Rug Pad Corner.
I posed my questions which were all answered to my satisfaction. I also researched the company and found Rug Pad Corner endorsed by Green America and a few other organizations. I asked about the green colored rubber rug pad and was told that the green is a vegetable dye to differentiate the egg crate looking rug pad from all the other plastic ones. As for their felt rug pads, I have placed them in several homes and have proof of their Green certifications.
Overall, I have found Rug Pad Corner to offer the most natural rug pads and I place them in pretty high end residences with valuable flooring. I have been dealing with this company for a few years and have yet to find a flaw in the products or another company to meet up to the standards of this company.
Hope this helps!
Hi Debra,
I see a lot of rug pads possibly coated with pvc have CRI Green Label certification. Does the CRI Green Lebel test for pvc & phthalates? Is the green label good enough to bring something home or is it simply another business trick?
thankyou for sharing.
COMMENT FROM DEBRA:
The CRI Green Label Carpet Testing Program has an independent laboratory tests carpet products for emission levels for 13 chemicals:
* Acetaldehyde* Benzene* Caprolactam* 2-Ethylhexanoic Acid* Formaldehyde* 1-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidinone* Naphthalene* Nonanal* Octanal* 4-Phenylcyclohexene* Styrene* Toluene* Vinyl Acetate
None of these are PVC or phthalates.
We sell chemical-free wool area rugs and natural rubber grippers for under the rugs, but when someone wants a thicker pad we don’t have a great product to offer. This is because the wool padding we carry was not designed for use under area rugs and can present some problems using it as such. So we’ve been looking for another rug pad and a while back we ran across Rug Pad Corner. When we contacted the company to see what their pads contain the first person we talked to didn’t know, and said someone else would call us back. No one ever called so we tried again, and the next person said the pads are made of “recycled felt jute”, which is what their website says now. We thought that sounded OK, so after several more calls and emails we finally found someone who would send us samples. (though we still have not received information about becoming a dealer of their pads) Upon inspection, we do not think their pads are just jute, as they have a sheen like they contain synthetic fibers, and when we flame-tested some fibers they melted, like nylon or polyester. Fortunately the pads don’t have a strong odor, but the smell is more like nylon carpet than any natural product we have smelled. And their rubber grippers and rubber backing are dyed, though they say they are made from “100% natural rubber”. Bottom line is I really wish I could say they make a non-toxic product but I’m not yet convinced that their pads are totally natural and chemical-free. If a chemically sensitive reader has used a pad from Rug Pad Corner I’d love to hear your experience.