The smell of your new mat may not indicate that it contains toxic chemicals.
Rubber mat off gassing.
In any case rubber in order to be useful and get its elastic properties we all know and love has to be vulcanized.
Even virgin rubber will have an odor to it albeit much less strong than tdr recycled rubber.
The smell was never super strong but it definitely has a plastic odor.
Try better quality of floor mats as rubber smell from floor mats can be equally danger as toxic it self replace them if required and smell is not bearable by you.
Always get better quality floor mats like i am using speedwav 3d floor mats in my ca.
These compounds have been trapped in the rubber but as the mat is exposed to the air and let in place for a while the release of vocs will slow down and the odor will fade.
Rubber is a very generic term but usually it refers to natural rubber poly isoprene or synthetic rubber polybutadiene.
In some cases the binder can make up to10 of the material content.
All rubber will smell to some degree.
So unless you can store them in such a manner that they can off gas for several weeks i think you will be stuck with the smell for a while.
Tips for washing your natural rubber yoga mat.
Many mats that are free from harmful materials and dyes contain natural rubber which can be pretty stinky at first.
If it s made from pvc probably.
Off gassing is an important consideration in the selection of flooring especially in a place where thereis little ventilation as the basement.
Potential sources of off gassing range from construction materials to carpeting cabinetry furniture paint and any number of household goods.
Just because a rubber floor smells does not mean it is off gassing harmful vocs.
It is important to note that the smell is natural and not a result of off gassing from toxic chemicals.
If it s made from natural rubber no.
If it s made from pvc probably.
Manduka recommends wiping their natural rubber mats with a solution of 50 50 organic cider vinegar and water or manduka s mat restore a vinegar based solution note.
A binder typically a urethane is added to the recycled andsynthetic rubber to form the flooring or paving material.
When you smell the rubber from a mat you re actually smelling the mat giving off volatile organic compounds or vocs.
It took about 4 weeks but i think they have finally finished off gassing now.
A better way to gauge the safety of your mat.
Off gassing also known as out gassing refers to the release of airborne particulates or chemicals dubbed volatile organic compounds vocs from common household products.
The more and lower quality recycled content in your floor the more smell and the higher a chance of dangerous voc emissions.
Should i worry about off gassing chemicals.