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Old November 20th 03, 12:46 AM
Banty
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Default infant and new carpet?

In article , 0tterbot says...

"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article , Jay says...

I am getting a new carpet in my new apartment sometime early next week.

Lets
say, I will have 3 days between the new carpet installation and baby
crawling on it.

Q. I have heard concerns about new carpet fumes being harmful to infants,
etc.. I am wondering if it is really "harmful" or just offensive odor. Is
this something I should be concerned about? Any tips will be helpful too.

Thanks,
Jay



New carpets outgas a lot of plasticizers from the carpet materials

(acrylics,
whatever - anything but wool). I haven't bothered to look for specific
information as to whether or not these are proven harmful, but to *me*

it's more
than offensive smell, it's a chemical outgas that makes me very

uncomfortable.
I wouldn't consider it for a crawling baby. And when I've gotten new

carpets or
new carpets have been installed at my workkplace, I notice the outgas odor

on
the order of weeks, not days.


afaik most carpets release chemicals (formaldehyde & so forth) for months or
years, rather than weeks. so i'd say it really doesn't matter if the baby's
crawling on it or just breathing the air, if it's going to have an effect on
anyone it will happen anyway.


It's worse in the beginning, though. And worse very close to the carpet. And
being in it for some time can have cumulative effect, or sensitize one
allergically.

Banty