What is this sand-like dust under my rug?

August 28, 2008 2:51 PM

What the hell is the sand-like dust under my rug, and why won't it go away?

The rug is from IKEA, Skagen I think. It seems to be shedding a powdery sand and it just won't stop. Seriously, it's been over a year with frequent vacuuming on both sides. And there's a lot of it -- not just a light dusting, I sweep up piles of the stuff every time. Is the backing slowly disintegrating, or is the rug filtering room dirt? (shudder) Can this be stopped, or do we just need to get rid of the rug?

posted by kmel to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

It's normal dirt, filtered through your rug. Is it in a hallway or somewhere where people walk on it with their shoes on? Anyway, it's normal for a woven rug with no backing. You may want to get a solid latex rubber underpad which will keep the dirt from getting to the floor.
posted by GuyZero at 3:00 PM on August 28, 2008

I've had rugs that do this, from all places. I think it's the backing, and some have sort of, uh, exuviated this stuff for mere weeks, others for, as you say, months and months. But dude, you're meant to sweep stuff under the rug, not out from beneath it.
posted by turgid dahlia at 3:01 PM on August 28, 2008

GuyZero is probably righter than me. More right.
posted by turgid dahlia at 3:02 PM on August 28, 2008

I vote for backing or the glue in the backing. I had a rug do this to me too.
posted by Sassyfras at 3:03 PM on August 28, 2008

Your rug is filtering dirt.
posted by Daddy-O at 3:08 PM on August 28, 2008

If the rug has backing and the backing starts to disintegrate it will be obvious from the missing patches of rug backing. Is the underside of your rug patchy? Did it ever have a backing in the first place (the linked rug does not). Also, most rug backing is latex and will come apart in flakes, not in sand-like dust. Stopping this dirt from sanding the finish off your hardwood floors is the reason they make backed rugs in the first place.
posted by GuyZero at 3:11 PM on August 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

I have a (new) Ikea wool rug and it does this, too. On mine, at least, it's definitely latex from the backing that's bonded to the rug. The stuff is powdery and uniformly white or light in color, if that helps.
posted by turducken at 3:36 PM on August 28, 2008

In my experience it's the dirt filtering through the rug.
posted by Ostara at 3:40 PM on August 28, 2008

It's dirt filtering through the rug. That's the reason, believe it or not, that carpet professionals say you should vacuum every day. And they have a point. Those pieces of dirt have mutiple sharp surfaces -- which cut the fibers of the rug and they are forced throught to the back. The best thing to do is to not wear shoes inside the home. In addition, when you do vacuum the carpet, flip it over and vacuum the back side, as well. You'll be shocked by the amount of dirt the comes out of the top of the rug once it's flipped.
posted by Newstuffoldstuff at 4:36 PM on August 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

I have 4 Ikea rugs that do the exact same thing. I don't think it has anything to do with dirt filtering through the rug, but it has something to do with whatever the coating is on the bottom of the rug.
posted by punkrockrat at 7:09 PM on August 28, 2008

I have an Ikea rug that does the same thing. The powder is not the same color as the dirt that comes into the apartment, so I think it's the latex backing disintegrating into powder. It's really gross, and I will never buy another Ikea rug.
posted by JennyK at 10:26 PM on August 28, 2008

That's the reason, believe it or not, that carpet professionals say you should vacuum every day. And they have a point.
posted by Newstuffoldstuff at 7:36 PM on August 28 [1 favorite +] [!]
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Good one!

...

Oh, you were serious.

Wow.

Our houses are like, sooo different.
posted by IAmBroom at 9:54 AM on August 29, 2008