Thinking about buying a Polypropylene Rug for your home?
You may already know that rugs are made of different materials are natural, while some are synthetic. Polypropylene rugs are the most common type synthetic rugs you see on the market.
Unfortunately, synthetic rugs can bring unwanted toxins into your home.
So, when it comes to choosing a rug for your home, safety is always a top priority- especially if you have babies and pets in your home. Many parents are sceptical about whether polypropylene rugs are safe for babies.
Among the commercial plastics on the market today, Polypropylene (PP) is generally considered safe for humans. It’s less flammable in fabrics than wool. Most importantly, it’s not known to cause cancer in humans.
But, is POLYPROPYLENE RUG safe for babies?
If synthetic materials such as polypropylene or even natural materials are not carefully sourced, it can be laden with harmful chemicals. So, polypropylene rugs are safe for babies as long as it is treated properly. Hence, it’s important to check its Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) before bringing one into your home. However, it’s wise to avoid synthetic rug when it comes to babies.
I’ll explain this topic in detail below.
So, continue reading!
Table of Contents
What is Polypropylene?
Polypropylene (PP), also called Olefin, is a polymer created from the monomer propylene. It is a complex plastic that is derived from petroleum. It is a BPA-free plastic and FDA-approved for food contact. It has a high heat tolerance.
Giulio Natta and Karl Ziegler (both of whom are Nobel Prize winners) first manufactured polypropylene fiber in 1957.
What’s Polypropylene Used For?
Polypropylene is widely used for packaging materials. It is used to make everything from containers (marked with a 5 in the triangle symbol) to rugs.
Its resin ID code is 5.
You’ll find polypropylene containers to hold butter products, cream cheese, yogurt, and so on. It is also used for packaging food that can be heated in a microwave.
Some implants and surgical accessories are also made of polypropylene.
Polypropylene fibers are used to weave indoor and outdoor area rugs.
Is Polypropylene Safe?
Generally, polypropylene is considered to be one of the safer plastics. It is a safer alternative to some other types of plastics, such as Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), High-density polyethylene (HDPE), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Polystyrene (PS), etc.
There are no known cancer-causing effects associated with polypropylene. The FDA has approved its use as a food container material.
What Is a Polypropylene Rug?
Polypropylene rugs are made of Polypropylene fibers.
As mentioned above, these materials are produced from petroleum in the laboratory, and then the fibers are distributed to factories to be woven by appropriate machines.
It is chemically treated with various compounds to make it stain-resistant, anti-static, and antibacterial.
The polypropylene fibers are used for a variety of rugs, i.e., from flat-woven kitchen rugs to soft shaggy.
Why Is Polypropylene a Popular Choice for Rugs?
- 🐾 Highly resistant to water-based stains, making them great for families with pets.
- 🌿 Resistant to rug moths, mold, mildew, or fading, even when exposed to outdoor elements.
- 🔥 Most PP rugs are fire-retardant, meaning they do not catch fire easily.
- 💧 Moisture-resistant and water-repellent, making them perfect for both indoor and outdoor use.
- 🏋️♀️ Polypropylene rugs are lightweight with a low density, making them easy to transport and install.
- 🧹 PP rugs typically have low-density and low-pile weaves, making them lightweight and easy to clean.
- 🛋️ These rugs are designed to be soft, offering the right amount of comfort.
- 🌾 They have the same look and feel as natural fiber rugs.
- 💰 More affordable than nylon or wool rugs, without compromising on quality and durability.
🚫Here are the Drawbacks of Polypropylene Rugs
- 🚶♀️ Not highly resilient to high foot traffic.
- 💥 Usually tears down as a consequence of high foot traffic and heavy furniture.
- 🍴 Oil-based stains are not easy to remove from this type of rug, so they are not the perfect choice for dining rooms or the kitchen.
Is Polypropylene Rug Safe for Babies?
Polypropylene itself is not toxic. But a polypropylene rug is often treated with several chemicals. These chemicals help to make the rug stain-resistant, anti-bacterial, and fire-retardant. Unfortunately, these substances can evaporate and leach out, which could cause serious health issues.
Some questionable compounds that most synthetic rugs or carpets may contain:
- Toxic dyes– These may be used for the dying process.
- Pesticides and Fungicides
- Fire retardants
- Glues and other types of adhesive elements: These may contain formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals.
- Synthetic rubber: It may have phthalates
- PFCs- These are added to make a rug stain-resistant and water–repellent.
These substances are of great concern if you have infants, crawling babies, and kids who spend a lot of time playing on the rug or floor. Even if the toxins in rugs may migrate into household dust and be inhaled by everyone who lives there.
Even a 100% wool rug with backing that may contain synthetic latex.
To sum it up, polypropylene and other synthetic rugs have several health risks, which make them an unsafe option for babies. So, it’s wise to go for non-toxic natural rugs.
What Type of Rugs are Safe for Babies?
Fortunately, there are a lot of truly non-toxic rug options out there.
🧶Wool Rug
It is one of the safest options if you have crawling babies. Wool rugs are hypoallergenic, soft, and resilient. They are also durable and flame-retardant.
🧵Cotton Rug
Cotton rugs are breathable, soft, and lightweight.
🌾Jute Rug
Jute rugs are made of natural fiber, meaning they are health-friendly and eco-friendly.
Seagrass and Sisal rugs are other examples of natural options. Seagrass has a smooth and flat surface. It does not soak in spills, which makes it easy to clean. Sisal feels rough but strong. It adds a warm, earthy look to your space.
Not sure if sisal still fits in today’s home style? You can check how it looks in modern rooms and decide for yourself.
What are the Health Risks of Polypropylene Rugs?
Any synthetic rug, if it is treated with stain protectors, fire retardants, and insecticides, could trigger serious health complications from allergies to nausea.
Styrene is a common substance in all varieties of synthetic rugs. Unfortunately, Styrene is a potential carcinogenic substance.
Flame-retardant PP rugs may contain bromine, which may cause thyroid and endocrine disruption.
Water-repellent or stain-resistant rugs may contain Phthalates and PFCs. These chemicals are added to synthetic area rugs that are labeled as water-repellent or stain-resistant.
These substances are responsible for disrupting the endocrine function, lowering the immunity, and causing brain damage.
Synthetic rugs are treated with insecticide chemicals, which may cause stinging eyes, dizziness, rashes, and allergic reactions.
The exposure to those toxic chemicals, in the long run, can result in cancer and birth defects.
VOCs result from the combination of several chemicals in the process of synthetic rug manufacture. Due to low concentration of off-gassing, you may suffer irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat. High levels of off-gassing may cause kidney, liver and nervous systems weakening, failure, or damage.
Should you Completely Avoid a Polypropylene Rug?
No. You should not consider polypropylene rugs toxic in general.
You know each product produced in the industry has a “Material Safety Data Sheet” (MSDS). This sheet covers the toxicity level of each material used.
Cheaply made Polypropylene Rugs are treated with some chemicals, which may release VOCs, resulting in off-gassing. If you place the PP rug in a room where the ventilation is not well catered for, it might cause dizziness, nausea, allergies, and headaches.
Before buying one, we make sure it doesn’t have high levels of VOCs. Before placing it in your home, vacuum it with a HEPA filter vacuum. This will help to remove most VOCs and keep them in the open air for several days, for escaping the VOCs into the atmosphere.
To avoid these negative effects, first consider the pros and cons of PP rugs. Judge for yourself the polypropylene rugs suits you best. This type of rug can be the best option when it comes to picking a rug for outdoor arrangements.
2 Best Polypropylene Rugs
After knowing all the pros, cons and health risks of using a PP rugs, if you think that the good outweighs the bad, here are 2 best polypropylene rugs for you:
#1 Unique Loom Solo Solid Shag Collection Area Modern Plush Rug
#2 SAFAVIEH California Premium Shag Collection Non-Shedding Area Rug
That’s it!
If you have any queries, feel free to mail me or leave a comment below; I’ll be happy to answer your questions.