I bought new bath mats and they stink like skunk. I have washed them in the washer. After I use them, I hang them over the tub; however, they still stink like skunk. I hate to buy new ones. They are rubber and feel like grass on top. Help.
By Shirley from Louisville, KY
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It's like when you wash dishes the rag has a funny smell same with ours. Pets could also be the problem.
No animal ever gets into my bathtub. Yuck. I just bought these a few weeks ago and thought it was just the new rubber smell that would wear off. It hasn't and I've thrown them in my front load washer and still no luck.
I have a bathmat like that. It's not skunk, it's the smell of the mat itself because it's new. The only thing that cures it is time. The smell will eventually go away. Until then, you might want to air it out daily on a clothesline or whatever, and that will help speed up the process.
I had the same problem with a cutting mat I bought years ago. I had to keep it in the plastic bag it came in for months, because it just smelled so bad. Now, it doesn't smell at all. So don't worry, there is hope!
My bath mat was over five years old when I finally gave up on it because it still smelled. Now, unfortunately, my new mat also smells. A lot.
Honestly, I'm not sure if there's much you can do. Sometimes rubber or plastic just has a bad odor. Since they're new and you've washed them it's probably not mildew.
I bought a bottle of pet odor removal (if it removes pet odors, it should work on any odors) and poured it on them letting them sit in the tub. I also sprayed them with Fabreeze.
Plastic/rubber items often "outgas" when they are new - hence the smell - Leave the mat outside as much as possible to let the gasses dissipate & with them, the smell. (Same happens with plastic shower curtains....)
I had a cat spray my bathroom rugs too. If you've ever smelled cat spray you'll notice it smell very close to skunk. What I did was to put them in the washer as if I was going to wash them with laundry detergent and a full load of water, then add 2 cups of baking soda and 2 cups of white vinegar and let washer start to wash but only for 5 minutes and then stop the washer and let soak for a few hours (it would be better over night) then, the next morning wash the whole load.
Were they made in China?
Call the store you bought them and ask to speak to the manager.Tell him/her what the problem is and see what they will do for you. Even after you washed something some stores will replace or refund your money for a product that isn't satisfactory. Or even better, make sure the manager is in the store, then take them back to the store and let them smell them. The more complaints they get the better.
Just a point on using baking soda and vinegar as deodorizers. Use one or the other, but not both together in the same wash. One is an acid (vinegar) and one is a base (baking soda), and both work on their own, but if you combine them they neutralize each other and all you get is salt water. And carbon dioxide bubbles.
I would be careful using things like pet odor remover. Sometimes those things smell worse than the odor you are trying to remove.
I would try washing/ soaking in baking soda, then if that doesn' t work, try the vinegar. And always hang them outside in the sun to air out.
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