One sneaky way microplastics enter your home
Is there a more unglamorous topic than rug pads and rugs?
Hi there! Today we’re going to chat about the least glam topic of all time: rugs and rug pads.
It’s so boring that I’ve paywalled part of it to spare those of you who aren’t in the market for one. If you happen to be shopping for a rug though, I’ve got dozens of natural fiber options for ya, as well as rug pads to keep them in place ;o)
By the way, friends have been texting about the doom-and-gloom Washington Post article titled: “Our brains are filling with more and more microplastics, study shows.” Have you read it?
“For the new study, scientists analyzed 52 brain specimens, 28 that were autopsied in 2016 and 24 that were autopsied in 2024. They found microplastics in every sample, but there were significantly higher concentrations of microplastics in those from 2024.”
It ends with the typical spiel like, hey don’t panic! “More research is needed.”
But there are already decades of research, which the WaPo conveniently ignores while stating the problem:
“In recent years, scientists have realized that many plastic items (plastic bags, water bottles, tires, polyester or synthetic clothing) can shed small fragments or fibers that make their way into air, food and water. Many of those particles are burrowing deep into the human body.”
It astounds me that these American articles never mention even the simplest steps like switching to natural fiber clothing/ bedding, or reducing plastic in our daily lives. Not to mention at the systemic level: holding fossil fuel companies accountable, producing less plastics, or regulating the use of synthetic fibers.
Meanwhile, The Guardian and this op-ed in Nature shared more urgent words.
That got me thinking about the fabrics in our home, like the pink sofa with its “stain resistant fabric,” or sheer curtains that I find so charming (100% polyester). And finally, rugs. Most of us don’t think about them. Yet rugs add visual impact to a room and you probably touch yours every day, unlike framed art on the wall or a bookshelf.
Rugs are not cheap, though I was often tricked while researching for this letter: like okay, a $112 wool-and-silk rug! Not bad! Only to realize that’s the starting price. $112 is if you need a bath mat by your bed, while the size you want is closer to $5000.
It’s wild that even websites selling $5000 rugs, touting the benefits of wool or whatever, will simultaneously sell you recycled polyester rug pads that will off-gas fumes, all under the guise of being eco-friendly.
Sashay away any time you read “eco-plush” or “eco-wool.” It’s a coy euphemism for fossil fuels and microplastics.
Rugs, like bed sheets, release fibers into the room and can off-gas chemicals just like other furniture.
At Silky Crunch we love recycled and re-used cotton, cashmere, hemp, and other natural fibers! However, it’s better to avoid close contact with recycled plastics, which are more prone to breaking down and leaching microplastics (compared to virgin plastic).
In case you missed it, here are the free letters on breathing cleaner air:
Ideas for cleaner air at home (air purifiers, natural fiber bedding and mattresses, laundry detergents, etc.)
Home recipes for cleaning (and the best ones to buy if that’s not your vibe)
Synthetic-free perfumes (that smell better than the mall brands)
You know when there’s a light streaming through the window and you see all those dust particles, sparkling in the air?
“The study at the University of Portsmouth found a fitness workout on a synthetic carpet could result in up to 110 plastic fibres or fragments being breathed in every minute.
Folding clothes made from fabrics such as polyester, and even just sitting down on a foam-filled sofa, also produced a plume of microscopic particles in the surrounding air.”
Now might be a good time to upgrade to a natural fiber rug, many are on sale right now! Here are some ideas of what’s possible beyond those darn Ruggables. Remember, all these rugs come in different sizes, so check for the size you need.
I listed the sizes that are 5’ x 8’ (or close to it if that exact size is not available) so you can compare.
World Market wool Brooklyn Green Rug $35 on sale for 3’ x 5’.
World Market woven Jute and Cotton Rug at just $100 for 5’ x 8’.
As a Gemini born in a Year of the Snake, this Cold Picnic Snake Runner is calling my name. $380 for 2’ x 3’.
This hand-knotted cotton-wool blend Otto Rug looks calming and cozy for bedrooms and baby rooms. $450 for 5’ x 8’.
100% wool Okje Rug in so many pretty pastels, $1395 for 4’ x 5’.
This Menagerie Rug looks like a fairy tale! Viscose rugs feel so silky on the feet and are ideal for homes that are hot in the summer and cold in the winter. $698 for 5’ x 8’. (57% viscose and 43% wool)
Ugh, this Nordic Knots Celestial Rug is dreamy! But the price will jolt you awake at $2700 for 8’ x 10’’.
This 90% wool Anthropologie Mila Suzani Rug is $798 for 5’ x 8’, and is thin enough for warmer climates.
Peep other Natural Fiber Rugs on my ShopMy!
Silky Crunch may earn some cents if you make a purchase through one of the links in this letter.
Below the paywall, you’ll find:
Rug pads made from natural materials like rubber, latex, felted wool, or scrimped jute
A $20 cotton rug (5’ x 7’) that’s machine washable
A $340 wool rug that’s machine washable
Natural fiber rugs divided by jute/natural/cotton, viscose, thinner wool and thick wool