My house smells like death.

February 14, 2013 11:04 AM

Last weekend, my parents gave my wife and I their old 10'x12' rug and the rubber pad that goes beneath it. It really ties the room together. But there is a problem: the rubber pad is emitting a horrible, disgusting, rubbery smell.

I am guessing there is nothing to do but replace the mat, but I am wondering, the mat did not stink in my parent's home, so what could have possibly happened? Is there anything I can do short of replacing the mat?

posted by 4ster to home & garden (4 answers total)

Did they by any chance wash the mat before giving it to you? It could have just not dried properly which would cause it to now smell musty/death-like.

I'd put it in the tub and give a good, solid scrub and then let it dry, off the ground, somewhere ventilated and preferable sunny. It may or may not work, but it's an easy solution to try before throwing it away.
posted by lydhre at 11:07 AM on February 14 [1 favorite]

I know exactly what you are talking about - some rugs have the rubberized part on the bottom, and then you really don't have many options.

You might have to simply replace the rubber pad.
posted by scooterdog at 11:36 AM on February 14 [1 favorite]

You could try letting it lie outdoors on a sunny day, rubber-side up, maybe on a table or over a fence. This could help deodorize it.
posted by emjaybee at 11:45 AM on February 14 [2 favorites]

It's also possible that the rubber pad was kind of sealed to the floor in their own home and nasty shit was growing underneath it and then poof, once it all got exposed to air, the nasty shit became smelly shit.

I had a chair mat I used under a dog pen and it was all totally fine and it didn't smell until about an hour after I lifted up the mat, and then it became wildly apparent that some doggy pee had gotten under the mat at some point, because YUCK!

Washing (and thoroughly drying) the mat with a solution containing bleach or vinegar might help.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:18 PM on February 14 [3 favorites]