How long does it take for the rubber odor to fade? In the past I’ve always bought the 4’x6’ stall mats and I never really noticed too much of a smell but, I recently got the small ones that are like puzzle pieces that fit together and they stink. I wanted them for the dog runs. They fit nicely but the chemical smell is strong!
I’m sure you already know but the odor is from the volatile organic compounds (VOC) that are used as binding agents for the rubber. The odor dissipates as these chemicals out-gas. This is a similar process to that “new car smell” that disappears over time as the new car sits in the sun and the chemicals vent off into the air.
The best thing to do is to expose the individual (unstacked) new mats to warm sun and air. The process can take a few weeks, depending upon which chemicals were used by the mat manufacturer. In a dog run the chemical odor may be preferable to but quickly masked by dog feces odor, speaking as a fox hunter who has built and maintained my fair share of hound kennels.
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