p.k.roberts Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Hi All, Bit of an odd one. I just bought a (thankfully) small quantity of ribbed rubber matting. The trouble is, it absolutely stinks! Not just yer average 'new rubber smell' (mmmmm), but more of a rancid 'burnt' smell. So far I've tried scrubbing it with soapy water and hanging it in the sun to try and reduce this, but it has made no difference at all. It's so bad it's really unusable for indoor jobs which is, to say the least, a bit of a pain. So any suggestions - is there some readily available solvent or arcane treatment I can try on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 New rubber does smell like that, you won't wash it off. Unroll it and leave it outside for a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam L F Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Second that! Leave it in a well ventilated area, or spend a couple of hundred pounds spraying it with oust every 5mins, your choice. http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p.k.roberts Posted September 3, 2013 Author Share Posted September 3, 2013 New rubber does smell like that, you won't wash it off. Unroll it and leave it outside for a few days. I have already done that with no effect. Just to be clear, I have bought this stuff before and know what it normally smells like, but this batch is much much worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 New rubber does smell like that, you won't wash it off. Unroll it and leave it outside for a few days.I have already done that with no effect. Just to be clear, I have bought this stuff before and know what it normally smells like, but this batch is much much worse. I think it depends how they vulcanise the rubber, I had some recently which smelt really bad, made the place smell like it had been on fire. The smell will fade eventually if you leave it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart91 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 It just seems to take time. We bought a large amount of rubber matting a few years back, and it was instantly banished to a shed in our yard. This was quite a "well ventilated" space (i.e. full of holes) but even so the smell was still noticeable over a year later. Luckily, we were only really needing the matting for outdoor jobs so it wasn't a major problem. (One other thing that springs to mind - we got a ridiculously good deal on the matting. It might just have been a production overrun, but I do wonder if the seller reduced it because it had turned out more pungent than usual somehow?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savage1 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 post fringe my stuff just smells like stale beer. For some reason the reek of cheap larger pretty much overpowered the smell of rubber matting. Pine fresh disinfectant might be a bit of a nicer smell... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyandi Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Have 2 10m rolls for outdoor events & after a good 5 years + it still smells pretty bad. At least it keeps people from sitting near it.Lives in a garage for the rest of year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 It is possibly the sulphur associated with "curing" or vulcanisation of the rubber. Cheapo stuff seems to smell worse for longer. It seems that washing in soapy water and leaving to dry in sunlight is the way to do it and if that doesn't work to do it again with a cup of white vinegar in the water. One suggested remedy is not really a remedy but to cover up the smell by painting on peppermint oil but that seems a bit last resortish to me, bit like Febreze-ing my socks after a festy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p.k.roberts Posted September 4, 2013 Author Share Posted September 4, 2013 Thanks for the suggestions - looks like I'll be getting the 'kitchen chemistry set' out this weekend. Mwa ha ha ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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