Send it back.

Oh no! Is it mold?

Remember years ago reading multiple complaints that Pottery Barn rugs had a burnt smell. Although a number of people returned the rugs if I remember correctly the smell dissipated after a while. I have not have heard of that issue in a few years, but I stayed away from Pottery Barn when I was shopping for rugs a few years back due to this issue.

Return it. I made the mistake of not returning a PB wool rug, I was advised it would shed a little at first, wrong , it continued to shed for a year or so filling the Dyson each time it was vacuumed. Finally gave it away to someone working at my house, he said the constant shedding would be no problem :)

PB has had a problem with this with some of their rugs for years.

Read these,

https://rugchick.com/2011/12/17/pottery-barn-rugs-to-run-from

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/good-question-why-does-my-new-rug-smell-956

and also Google Pottery Barn rugs smell. What's astounding is that PB continues to sell these rugs.

It's not normal. It's not good. Please take it back and tell them why.

This might explain why there are no reviews of their rugs on Pottery Barn's website. I was discouraged from buying a rug from them for that reason. They also don't provide enough information to make an informed purchase (construction details are vague and origin is sometimes missing). My only knowledge of Pottery Barn rugs comes from a relative who has one of the never-stops-shedding wool rugs. She hates it. In any case, after reading the above article, it sounds like I dodged a bullet.

Wow. I have another PB rug (100% wool) and it never smelled. It did shed, but it subsided. No smell though. This one, has a bit of Jute in it, so I thought maybe it was the natural fibres that smelled too earthy. I was worried about mold.

jellytoast, it's not just the rugs - there are no reviews of any products on PB's web site. They used to have reviews, but that went away several years ago. I think the ability to post complaints in the reviews didn't sit well with them.

I have a couple of their rugs and have not had the odor problem. From what I recall reading a while back, many of the rugs only developed the odor after some time in use - it wasn't immediately present. By the time the odor developed, the rugs were used enough or old enough that PB wouldn't take them back until this issue became widely known. I think it was an issue with the backing. If it smells that bad right off the bat, I would definitely return it. Mine had absolutely no odor upon receipt and 6 or 7 years later, still have no odor.

This problem is not exclusive to PB. We had a rug once from another vendor, can't remember which one, that smelled like burned rubber after a while. We loved the rug so we tried everything to get rid of it, but we ended up throwing it away.

Faux Iron, it's not all of the PB rugs. From the Rug Chick article I linked to above,

"So the WOVEN rugs that Pottery Barn is selling are very good rugs. But that is just a fraction of what they sell today.

The problems are coming from their 'other' rugs, in particular their TUFTED rugs and other specialty pieces using 'natural' fibers. ...

Tufted rugs have canvas material on the back.

Whoever is running their TUFTED rug department (including their Pottery Barn Kids rugs), and their “earth friendly” rug department are choosing some of the most difficult, if not impossible, rugs to live with and maintain."

And as Bluebell points out, it's not just a PB problem. It's the type of rug, not the seller, and sellers across the board need to vet their rugs and rug vendors better.

I bought that exact rug three years ago and did not have that problem at all. It did shed for awhile but that has subsided. I would definitely return it. It is a beautiful rug.

I’m glad you posted this, I just bought the same rug and the smell hasn’t gone away. Nervous that it will always smell :/ is there anything you can do to deodorize it? I love the look of the rug and it’s extremely heavy to get in my car to return. Did they return it for you with no problems Faux Iron works?

Hi Cara, I had the rug over a month, and the smell didn't go away. I ended up speaking with a manager, and she had no issues with me returning it. I returned it, as I didn't want the smell in my home.

It's off-gassing and it may go away and it may not. These rugs are produced overseas in non-airconditioned facilities and likely, before the glue or fibers are dry, are rolled up and placed inside a plastic bag, loaded into containers and sent on ships to the US. They should place packets of silica sand in the bags, but likely they do not.

I would notify PB if you like the rug and ask for some time for the rug to rest fully open to see if the odor dissipates over the next 30 days. Your choice. Might be perfectly fine.

First the wool is probably recycled ans so lots of chemicals involver and jute alwatys stinks if it gets the least bit damp which often happens in containers shipped over seas .

I’m having the same problem. I bought the Maui chunky jute rug and it’s been 3 weeks and the smell is getting worse! I’m so upset

We have the same problem. We got one and exchanged it. New one smells as well!

The smell is the nature of the natural.

I just took a walk along the river with its gorgeous tall grasses waving in the early winter breeze and everything stunk! Wet wool sweaters have their own aroma.

Regardless, if you can’t stand the smell return it and find a rug which gives the effect but not the odor.

I have this rug In gray. it was so smelly when it came; I was seriously disgusted. The company said I could keep it up until the last day of the return time. I loved the look of it and decided to keep until then to see if the smell would go away. We put it out on the driveway in the sun for several hours. We vacuumed it thoroughly several times a day for two weeks. It still had a faint but bearable smell of mildew, so we decided not to return it. eventually (maybe 2 months,)

the smell went completely away. It is such a classy, understated rug. It adds texture, warmth and beauty to our dining room. I get tons of compliments on it. I’m glad I kept it. I have had no problems with it shedding.

I am also considering the PB chunky wool/jute rug in grey unless I can find a similar option elsewhere. Curious how the rug has held up @annebowen or if others have purchased more recently and found this to still be an issue. Thanks!

I got the rug yesterday-its gorgeous but the smell is so strong that I am concerned about having company over this weekend. I'd like to allow it to breathe but I don't want to live with the smell too long.