Written by Maia, President & Founder
Floor coverings like rugs and carpets can totally make a space. They add softness and warmth to a room, and offer a lot of fun options for adding color and pattern to your décor.
But, surprise!—they can also bring a lot of unwanted toxins into your home. (The international rug industry is also famous for using child labor.) This is a bummer, especially if you have babies and young kids who spend a lot of time rolling, crawling and playing on the floor.
Don’t despair (and/or hate me for being the messenger of bad news, are usual!). There are some safe and beautiful rugs out there. We’ve done the research to help you find a safe area rugs (and if you’re looking for non-toxic wall-to- wall carpeting, we wrote about that here.)
What’s Toxic About Most Rugs?
The variety of sketchy materials and chemicals that go into most rugs and related products is actually kind of crazy, and include:
- Synthetic primary materials, including plastics like polypropylene and nylon. And “natural” materials —like cotton and wool—that are not carefully sourced can be laden with pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, as well as chemicals used to process the fibers.
- In addition to the primary materials, rugs usually also include materials that are hidden from the eye but integral to the product, such as synthetic rubber that may contain endocrine-disrupting phthalates.
- Toxic dyes and other chemicals used in the dying process give area rugs their good looks. This is particularly true for conventional wool products; wool naturally resists color and has to be treated to extra harsh chemicals to achieve different colors. (Note: Companies like Earth Weave have created innovative ways of coloring wool without the worrisome chemicals.)
- Glues and other adhesives often can contain formaldehyde and other chemicals that off-gas into the home environment.
- Toxic pesticides and fungicides are common.
- Flame retardant chemicals are also common (and toxic, and not particularly effective!). For instance, nylon, polypropylene and viscose aren’t toxic in and of themselves, but they are almost always treated with fire retardants that ARE toxic.
- Rugs that boast about being stain-resistant and water-repellent often get those properties from yet another class of worrisome chemical (PFCs).
Safe, Non-toxic Rug Brands
Like I said, there are a lot of good non-toxic rug options out there. Rugs and carpets can be made exclusively or primarily from natural and safe materials, while still being gorgeous and durable. Also, thanks to greater awareness about child labor, you can buy from several brands that don’t support bad practices.
Here are my favorite brands for non-toxic area rugs:
Earth Weave makes area rugs out of their ultra-natural wool carpet material, bound in a variety of sizes.
- ecoFiber Custom Rugs is based in Colorado and sources its rugs from Nepal. The company emphasizes natural, safe materials, sustainable practices, and no child labor. To purchase from ecoFiber, you must go through a design professional.
- Hook & Loom
rugs are both safe and affordable. They have rugs made from un-dyed natural wool as well as rugs made from recycled cotton fabric, in a variety of colors, patterns, sizes and thicknesses, and they ship for free in minimal packaging, reducing waste. Hook & Loom does not use any chemicals, dyes or latex in the production of their rugs. The company is based in Massachusetts and the rugs are made in carefully selected workshops in India that do not employ child labor.
- Lorena Canals offers my
favorite rugs for kids, though many of their designs are sophisticated enough to use elsewhere in your home. These rugs are made entirely from naturally dyed cotton. They’re machine washable (score for parents!) and are hand-sewn in India in facilities that do not employ child labor. The variety of colors, shapes and designs is really fun. It seems like the company is always debuting new styles.
- Merida has
revived a corner of the American textile industry by producing its made-to- order rugs in a traditional mill town in Massachusetts. They make very high-quality, customizable rugs using a variety of natural materials (like wool, mohair, jute, and sisal). To purchase from Merida, you must go through a design professional.
Under the Nile rugs are hand-loomed with leftover scraps from their clothing production. The durability and softness of these rugs is great for play or for decoration in baby’s room, bathrooms or any room in the house. Each rug is handmade and finished with decorative tassels on two ends.
Non-toxic Rug Pads & Grippers
Rug and carpet people recommend that you use rug pads and/or grippers to prevent slipping, increase cushioning, prolong the life of the floor covering, and protect the floor underneath. Most of these products are at least as toxic as conventional rugs and carpets themselves, but here are some great, safe alternatives:
- Earth Weave sells natural rug pads made from a combination of wool and plant fiber (and no glues, dyes, flame retardant chemicals, or mothproofing chemicals). They also sell natural rug grippers made from 100% natural latex.
- Hook & Loom offers an affordable rug gripper made from natural latex encasing a small amount of polyester mesh fabric. These grippers are available for purchase with Hook & Loom rugs.
Please comment below with brands you’ve found that make natural, non-toxic rugs!
Stay sane,
Rachel says
What are your thoughts on FLOR tiles? https://www.flor.com/
Kamal says
What are your thoughts on IKEA rugs?
B Healthy says
I suspect that antique oriental rugs, made by nomads from wool dyed with vegetable dyes, are probably toxin free; although they’ll be full of 100+ years of dust and will need to be aired out and beaten.
These rugs are expensive; but, because they’re wool, they aren’t flammable like synthetics (and aren’t covered with flame retardants) and they’ll last another 100 years if you take care of them.
Does anyone know of any reason why they wouldn’t be safe?
Maia James says
You’re right–the rugs you’re describing would definitely be safe (once cleaned!).
Amy says
This is great! Thank you!! Do you know anything about the rugs at Cost Plus World Market?
Tiffany says
How about Home Depot area rugs that what I got in my living room : (
Caroline says
I read somewhere that any rugs sourced from overseas must be sprayed with pesticides upon arrival in the US, so even if the company doesn’t apply any chemicals at the factory, the chemicals may be applied during the import process. (I also read the same about wooden toys sourced from overseas.) Is there any truth to this?
Laura says
Thank you for the above information and everything you do in this space. Do you know that sisal or jute rugs (like from Merida) do not have pesticides applied? I do not know if they can stay in their natural state or if chemicals are applied.
Also, I do believe that antique rugs can have moth-proofing chemicals applied…but not always
Kindly,
Laura
Anaka says
Hello,
Do you know if Lorena Canals rugs are fully free of ANY flame retardant and formaldehyde? I emailed the company 3 days ago, but have not heard back yet.
Thanks
Anaka
holly says
Anaka did you find out about Lorena Canals rugs?
Anaka says
Hi Holly – I did receive a response from Lorena Canals company a couple days ago. I have copied their response below. If you contact them directly, they will also send you copies of their certifications. Although, it might have been nice to hear back from Gimmethegoodstuff, given that they have endorsed the product here :
)
EMAIL –
our products do not have fire retardant treatment because they are incompatible with the concept of our brand, a great percentage of our products can be washed in conventional washing machines, and the treatment applied to make a product fire resistant is not water resistant.
Linda says
Thanks for writing this. Antique rugs are a wise choice! I would love to be included in any future articles…my company makes GOTS certified organic area rugs.
Cathy says
Hi Linda — Please post a link for your company — I’d love to buy a GOTS certified rug from you right now!!!
Tava says
Just a heads up that the Hook and Loom rug pad has fire retardant chemicals. I found out the hard way. But they are looking for another option. Their rugs are lovely.
Kelse C Kwaiser says
Here is a great resource: http://www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Welcome+to+Toxipedia
Megan says
Thank you for this information. I was excited to find several options for an area rug for our living at an affordable price point from Hook and Loom. However, their rug pads, though natural rubber, contain a flame retardant. It is not clear whether the rug pads from Earth Weave, the other company you recommend for pads, also contain a flame retardant. My children would not be touching the pad regularly but my understanding is that we wouldn’t want them regularly inhaling the flame retardant chemical either. Do you have any further information or insight to add on this topic?
Thanks!
John says
Does Hook & Loom tell people that their pads have flame retardants in them? If not, they should! After all, why would people go to the trouble of buying a non toxic rug and then pair it w/a toxic pad? That would not be good business practice in my opinion.
Natalie says
Yes they do…
“Consisting chiefly of sustainable natural rubber, this is a very high quality low-profile non-skid rug pad. Not 100% green, as the thin mesh fabric inside is made from virgin polyester, and not chemical free, as an FDA approved chemical to retard flame is added, but we feel it is currently the best on the market. As our sales and buying power increase, we plan to develop a 100% green offering.”
No, it’s not perfect, however, I do appreciate their transparency and honesty. I would consider this as the best option over any other at the moment until they can come up with something better. I hate guessing what may or may not be in something, and I feel better knowing exactly what it is even if it’s not perfect.
Sherry says
Does anyone have experience with how Hook & Loom Green Eco-Cotton rugs hold up to toddlers/children? I’d like to put a healthy, toxin-free rug in my son’s playroom, but know that it will take a beating! I’d love advice on which of these healthier options clean well and hold up to kids.
Unfortunately I can’t do FLOR tiles because I will be placing the rug on top of foam tiles (for a basement).
Thanks!
Ashley says
I have a giant H&L rug in our playroom and another 5×8 one in a bedroom, and they’ve both done pretty well. I’m about to order a third to put on our covered/roofed patio. We also have a retriever mix who hangs out on both rugs and/so I vacuum frequently…they’ve done just fine.
Louisa says
I have the black and white Hook & Loom Oslo rug in my kids’ playroom and it’s held up wonderfully. I had initially wanted a brighter rug but I’m glad I got that one. I have 4 kids and we’ve had it for a year with no issues. I highly recommend it!
Maria says
Check out ragpadcorner.com for non-toxic, chemical free rug pads.
Minnie Mueller says
Thank you for this information. I was excited to find several options for an area rug for our living at an affordable price point from Hook and Loom. If you had more insight i will greatly appreciate it.