Greening Up My Act

Washable Rugs: Sustainable or Green Hooey?

May 09, 2023 Kat Cox & Tiffany Verbeck Episode 8
Greening Up My Act
Washable Rugs: Sustainable or Green Hooey?
Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Are washable rugs actually sustainable? Tiff and Kat dive into whether or not a washable rug is worth adding to your sustainability toolbox -- or whether its possible effects are offset because we're all trained to be asshole consumers.

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So here's the thing. The fact that rug bubble is washable isn't going to stop like my never ending itch for your new hip. Yes, it's still going to be Yep. 100% Yeah, so it's like I'm just as likely to want to move on from that rug because the design is like outdated Hi, cat. Hi, Tiff. How's it going? Oh, pretty good. Yeah. How are you? Good. I'm really I think I'm over all of the funk that I had the last couple of weeks. Oh, my God need to cheese leaves. I got another funk in the form of a stomach bug from my own or no. Three drinks in a row. Yeah. That's or calling my friend's nephew patient zero. Totally. It's so true. Little incubators. Yeah, it was like a one full week of just stomach pain. almost constant, so sorry. I just learned to live with it. Like, I know, you're just like, this was my life now. Yeah, I was like, I'm never gonna feel better. So just get used to it. Yeah, but I do feel better. Yeah. It's so magical when you start really feeling better. Oh, totally. I was running around the house. Like I'm gonna clean every thing. Yep. I vacuum today. It was really exciting. Yeah, it's feel so good. Yeah. So speaking of like, vacuuming and stuff. Should we just dive into this week's topic? Totally. Why not? Well, first off, welcome. Well, Oh, yes. What are we who are we? What's happening? Welcome to greening up my act. We are two marketing writers. And we talk about green hooey, which is basically like greenwashed products that pretend they're eco friendly, when they're actually not at all. And we do all the research and try to figure out what is actually better for the planet and for us, and for everybody involved in what's kind of a load of crap. Yep. We also make sure that we measure whether it's cost effective, and whether or not it actually does what it says is going to do. So. Does it work? Yes. Because that's a big thing. It's like, okay, even if his product claims to be super sustainable, is it actually gonna get that stain out of my? Yeah, you know, avocado stained white onesie. I think that is going to be like our big avocado stayed is like our big. The funny thing is I sent my daughter to school today with avocado stained pants on like, good luck. That's just how that's just my life now. Yeah. That avocado. Nobody tells you it's like, they're so good for you. But I thought it was quite unsustainable, but we can get to that later. Yeah. We'll be our grocery list season. Yeah. Yeah. So So yeah, that was, that was my day. I always feel like people are judging me, but I never judge other people for Yeah, so why kids? Yeah, my mom used to tell us that we look like orphans. And it really gave me a complex, like, brush your hair. You know, I'm like, I realize now like, little kids are just supposed to look like that. Yeah, it's true. But you know, it's the fear that you will be judged by how your child looks is legitimate. I think everybody feels that. Yeah, it's weird. It's really weird. I never thought it would be that way. But oh, well, it's in there. She's therapies for Yeah, she's. She's fine. So yeah, we what else about us? I think that's it. Like we're here to do the research for you. So you don't have to because you don't have time. Nobody's got time for that. Yeah. You're listening to this on your way to work. Or on your afternoon run? Or while you're washing your rug? Yeah. Washing your up, washing your washable rug, ya know? Or while you're researching washable rugs, because I'm going to tell you, yeah, listen up, listen up. For Give it to me about washable rugs because I actually am in the market for some new rugs. And I was wondering what you're saying. So this is perfect. Yeah. All right. The bait like a washable rug. It I don't know why I'm defining this, but I feel like I should. Basically it's a rug that you can throw in your washing machine at home, rather than take it to a cleaner or use one of those bulky like, cleaning machines like what are they called? carpet cleaners that oh, yeah, I have a right yeah, I have a rug cleaner. I do. Yeah, it's like a vacuum but let's wait, it's what it's like a vacuum and puts water down and sucks it up. But it's not. It's not like that. vacuum combined, right? It's like a separate thing. Yeah. So yeah, it's a vacuum first, right? So you have to store that thing and then probably buy cleaner for it and blah, blah, blah. Yeah. So, basically, okay, first off, let me list off my sources because I looked into, like washable rugs and I wanted to see most of them complaint complaint. Oh, my Lord. Brain, most of them proclaimed, that's not even the word I was trying to say, but sure, will say proclaim that they are sustainable. And I was like, Are they actually though? Because I don't know. So to find out, I used a bunch of sources. One of them was a study on the carpet industry in general, from Gaia. This is one name that Gaia and changing markets. Oh, well, okay. Yeah, but it was a whole study on like the carpet industry. Okay, it was really helpful. Um, another website that I really found useful was called the good trade. And they reviewed rug bubble. So spoiler alert, I looked into irrigable. Okay. And so they reviewed rug bubble and their sustainability NIS, whatever costs, sustainability? Yes. Sustainability factor. Tree Hugger is another website that also has a review of Red Bull. And they were really helpful. As always, I looked into the Environmental Working Group, they if you don't know them, they are really helpful in rating products, like cleaning products, and any household product that you use, and they rate it from A to F based on whether it's bad for the environment, whether it's bad for humans, typically, I find finding that they don't always go hand in hand. Actually, that's something we should probably talk about because I'm I feel like the to get convoluted all the time. But like, when you call it eco friendly, you're actually talking about it being non toxic to humans, but whatever we can get into that later. And then there's a CNN article about this study from toxic free future. On okay, I don't know how to say this. P PF s. P FAS. I in my head, I say P FAS, I said are like s two. They're like those. You say pee fast. Okay, cool. Yeah. Yeah, they're basically the the permanent cause or substances? Yeah, yeah. Perrin? polyfluorinated. substances? Yeah, yes. Wow. Okay. I didn't even bother like writing out the full name because I knew I just didn't have the energy for it. Yeah. But yeah, they're like the permanent forever chemicals. Yep. And then I use the Indiana Department of Environmental Management about they wrote this, like little brief about carpet cleaning. Because I was looking for a government website. And for some reason, the EPA didn't write about carpet cleaning at all. So come on, guys. Get your act together. Right. Alright, so I looked at rug a bowl, as mentioned, mostly because it's popular. It's relatively affordable, and I already have one. Bam, okay, that was another worst when you okay? I don't want to like ruin everything. But it's like, when you go. You look up something you already have. You're like, that was maybe the worst thing I ever could have bought. Right? Totally. Yes. You're like, dang it. I mean, that's already happened on this podcast about 45 times. Yeah. Basically, like, I am a Walking Disaster. I am just a human, you know? Yeah. You know, yeah, we don't have to catastrophize everything. Well, so how the hell are we supposed to know? Right? Because we didn't have someone doing this podcast for us. zactly we're trying to help other people not make our mistakes. Well, luckily, that's not really the case with rakibul. So spoiler alert, they're not bad. But the rogol Raghava website. So the way that druggable describes its rugs is with the word sustainable. And I Okay, yeah. And I was like, Are they though? Like, in what way? Because I was just really curious. So on the rug wool website, it uses a statistic that says, war, a billion pounds of carpeting and rug waste go into the landfill every year. And I looked up that stat it doesn't really tell you where it gets that information, but I looked it up. And that's where I found the Gaya and changing markets study. But what was interesting from that study, is it like yes, it is accurate, but and Raghu mentioned ces on their website, they're not trying to mislead anybody, but it's a study mostly about carpeting. Like whole house carpeting office carpeting like okay, so not like like rural rugs. Yeah, so it's um, it's like totally unclear how much rugs impact that number. Okay, so that was kind of like the start of my skepticism a little bit. And I was like, I don't know what to think about that. But on the other hand, if you think about the influx of cheap rugs on the market, and how many there are now, and they're, I mean, in a lot of ways, they're more or less considered disposable these days. Yeah. More or less. I mean, not necessarily, but more so than if you have like an$1,000 rug that you plan to keep for your suit your Turkish or your Yes. Persian rug. Yeah, yeah. You invested in and your last trip to Morocco. Exactly. Totally different these days, because you're ordering it off of Wayfair. And it costs$100. Yeah. And it was made by a machine rather than, yeah, a Turkish woman who's been trained in this her whole life, right. Okay, so rugs in general, the problem with a lot of rugs that are made these days, this is from the good trade, they say that they can contain flame retardants, or chemicals that repel water or stains, but are not good to be around. And I actually started looking into this when Charlie came around like I mentioned, she kind of was the impetus for me to look into a lot of stuff but I remember reading something random about the chemicals in rugs and then I had just bought this rug of one and I freaked out and looked on their website it was like oh my god cuz she's crawling around. She's like, right rug all day. And luckily turns out Ruggles, okay, but thank goodness, okay, yeah. Okay, spoiler alert. Get into that really shortly. So it's okay. But so the EW G, the Environmental Working Group says that blue bromine or chlorine based flame retardants have been linked to cancer or, and hormone disruption. But the good news isn't most of these were banned in 2017 by the Consumer Products Safety Commission. So most new products, okay, most US based new products aren't using these chemicals anymore, but a lot of imported stuff might still be using it. Okay. And then I also found some information about like, the ones that have replaced it, like this always happens. It's like a terrible chemical outlawed whatever, replaced by a very similar chemical, just a different strain. Right? And is not hasn't been studied. So you don't really know if it's any better. It's just yeah, like, you know, trying to comply with the law and get away with what you can get away with. So Right. Yeah, so these flame retardants also, I heard, I read that they're not even actually that useful, like they don't really work that well. So it's, I don't know who what kind of racket who sold the racket of flame retardants, but I don't like them. Now, CNN wrote an article about this study from toxic free future, which is I think it's like an active is it an activist group? I'm not sure if it's activist but anyway, they're an organization looking for a toxic free future. And the study shows that repellents, repellents like water repellents and or stain repellents can contain PFS, which are the forever forever chemicals. And this can be like scotchguard is one of them that's popular. So yeah, so these things are in a lot of rugs. Potentially, depends on the rug, whatever. The ew G maintains a list of pee fast free products, by the way, so okay, that in the show notes, so if you're just curious to see like, what doesn't have a P bass in it, then. Okay. So in fact, irrigable itself, is it sustainable? Or is it better? This is the question. So tree huggers review of rug, a bowl says quote, while they are plastic based and can't be recycled, so they're plastic based and can't be recycled. Two important facts. Some styles are made with recycled plastic bottle waist. So that's kind of cool. Yeah, that is cool. Like that. Yeah, that's important. Yeah. And it says they are extremely durable and are printed on demand. So the company is low waste in that respect. Yeah, they're not just storing stuff and letting it go out of fashion or whatever. Yeah, so that's really cool. And then undruggable own website. It says that they their rugs do not contain toxic dyes. Instead, they're water based dyes. They don't use flame retardants like I mentioned can be bad, they do not use P PFASs. To help them with stain guarding. But the good trade review the that website, the good trade, they review mentions that there might be trace amounts of what's called methylene. chloride in the rugs. Okay, trace amounts. So I don't know if you can really call them non toxic, but I'm not that worried about it. Right? trace them. So it's like, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And it's also like, it might be there. It's like, not really, they haven't. Yeah, they don't really no. Yeah. And from what I can understand the company is working to solve that. So. So it seems like a pretty legit company. So we'll go into the kind of like the pros and cons at the like, in a minute. But first off, how do I like it? So that's a good question. Yeah. Yes. Give me the day to day of your rug. wool rug. Yes. So when I ordered it, it came in a box and it came in like plastic packaging, which I think they could probably do something different than that. But yeah. So it's basically like, the way it works is it's two parts. And there's one part that's called a rug pad that sits on the ground. And that's sort of like your base layer. Right? And it's honestly like a giant velcro pad. Right? It holds a rug and place. Yes. And so you put your top portion, which is actually really thin. I think that's why it's washable. But you put you just have to place your top portion on top of it. It just sticks to it. Okay. So that fact makes installation an absolute bitch. Okay. Yes, not very easy, but it is a clever design. Right. And it's nice that, like, I think that's one of the reasons why it's washable. So that's really helpful. There are two options, you can get a thicker pad or a thinner pad, I got the thinner one, but I would recommend the thicker one if you want it to feel cushiony. Or if you have a wobbly toddler who will hit you at every fair. Man, I felt so guilty several times. I was like, dammit, if only I'd gotten the thicker one. My baby was top heavy. She's arrived, it's fine. So okay, so let's get into my pros and cons about this rug itself. So the pros, it's easy to use, minus the installation. But it's easy to use, in the sense that you can wash it on your own. So mine is an eight by 10. Okay, and sorry, I'm adjusting memory for mine is an eight by 10. And it fits in my washing machine. Which is like a pretty big rug. I'm not 100% convinced that a nine by 12 wood, but I do think I've heard other people say that it does. So yeah. So it's like a big rug fits in your washing machine. You wash it like you're doing a load of towels. And you don't have to like lug it to the cleaner or buy or rent a carpet cleaner or store a carpet cleaner. or deal with those chemicals because I learned as well chemicals aren't good, right for them on the most part. So I love that fact that is a huge Pro. And then you can actually tumble dry it which we learned what tumble dry was last week, right? Exactly. Not last week, couple weeks. And it's basically air dry, but I had no idea. So I always pull like just throw mine on my deck and it dries pretty quickly. I might try the tumble drying method but we'll see. And then if this so by washing it yourself and using homemade laundry detergent, like we learned in a previous episode saves the use of potentially toxic chemicals from cleaning companies. So if you take it to a cleaner, they're the chemicals they use are probably not great. And I've learned that they also may dispose of them illegally. So it enter streams and rivers because you're not supposed to just throw it like in the wastewater you're there's a way to dispose of it that some companies don't comply with according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. And then the household carpet cleaners are not great either. Some of them are fine, but a lot of them are rained rated like an a D or an F. According to the Environmental Working Group. There's only one household carpet cleaner that was ranked in a and the funny thing this is so funny. I was so confused for good 10 seconds is called Simple Green and naturals Carpet Care. Okay, there's another one. That sounds like a lot of green hooey. But okay, doesn't it, but it was rated an A. So that's funny. But there's another one called simple green carpet cleaner that's rated an F. But the crazy thing is, it's the same company. Yes, I was so confused. And I'm still slightly confused. If you like, I just wouldn't buy them just for that. I know. That's how I feel. They do have a lot of products that I looked them up, they have a lot of products that have the simple or the Safer Choice Label, which is the label from the EPA. That means that it's like better, it's maybe not like perfect, but it's better. So a lot of their products have that. But this one apparently is just like really bad. Woof. Isn't that weird? So I'm like, Oh, easy would it be to buy? But another thing is, it was kind of hard to find this like the Simple Green the bad one. Yeah. So I don't know if they just phased it out, and then replace it with the better one. So I don't want to like totally, you know, I don't want to give them too much shit. But it was just so strange. And I was like, Wait, Simple Green simple. Just flipping through them like, yes. So but then other ones like resolves carpet cleaners, shout carpet cleaner Hoover will like they also a lot of them are D's or F's by the assist. Like don't look under your sink, cat. I know. I know. So it's pretty wild. So that's a pro like you can avoid all that shit, basically. And also, yeah, you don't have to store all that carpet cleaner and stuff, either. That's true. And use and then throw away the plastic because it always comes in a plastic bottle, no matter, right? Totally. Which doesn't everything but whatever. I know. It's fine. It's not fine. It's not me. So another pro for irrigable is it they're quite durable. So I have owned it for about two years, and I've washed it maybe 10 times, Max. Definitely not more than 10. I've spilled a lot of things on it, including an entire venti of cold brew that I talked about a couple of weeks. Yes, I remember getting knocked off. Yeah, right all over the rug. And it came up pretty well. Actually, a rug doesn't have a pretty intricate design, which is why I bought it because it's like, stains aren't going to show as well. But yeah, I wanted like something dark. Right? Yeah. I can't do dark because my dog is white. Always. Yeah, it's a conundrum. Yep. Fair. But yeah, the rug is still in good shape. There are only maybe a few strands on the edges coming apart, but nothing serious. And the one thing that I've seen a lot of people complain about rug bubble and I think other rugs have this issue too, is the corners and the edges are coming up to the point that they like we tripped over them some carpet. I know you told me about it and then okay, so rug tape. I need it. But I'm confused by it. I was going to ask you this because I'm confused. If I need to wash my rug, do I just have to replace all this tape or why? I have and I know that that's not a sustainable thing. I have replaced the rug tape because it gets hair stuck on it. It stops being a sticky, okay. Okay. I'm not worried about the sustainability of some tape. But okay. I mean, I've I've only done like once a year max or something. Like I have. Yeah, I have a spot where my dog or one of my rugs curls up because it's a cheap rug and it just curls up. And so I've been taping it down. Like it's getting flatter. But it Yeah, it's it still comes in. So I think for the first especially two years that I was in this house, I was taping it down and Okay. It's gotten better, but all right, I should try it. It's just like, I don't really watch it that often. But I'm like my God, if I have to wash it and take the tape off and blah, blah. But yeah, yeah, I mean, it's Yeah, who knows? You'll probably get less I got pretty industrial RockTape I wonder if there's like less. Just if it's just gonna have like a little tack that just holds the corner. Yeah, you're like double sided tape. It's great for keeping your keeps your bra bra this top. Tape down your your buttoned down and perfect. Yes. So many uses. Yeah, so I need to get rug tape. I just haven't. I don't think about it ever. So it's like a trip on it like dang it. I know. I know. Rubble Rubble, so I'm not like 100% convinced that it's more durable than other cheapo rugs I have owned. But I do think I do think it's durable. That's why I said quote durable, I'm not sure it's like the Erie durable. Alright. It's hard to say because it's two years, you know, rug needs last two years, but, but I have heard that washing your rugs, makes them last longer. So that probably can't hurt. Right? Yeah. I mean, that's what they say like vacuuming? Washing? It is. It is actually good for them. Yeah. So that's like your denim or whatever. Right, right. Yeah, so that's a pro. Two other quick pros. And mostly, it's mostly non toxic. And you know, this, which is nice to be able to do the research and see, like, look at the website and be like, Okay, I know what's going into this rug. Because sometimes I feel like if you buy something from Wayfarer, that would be you have no idea. You know, I think there's the whole thing about they were trafficking children. Like, which wasn't true. But yeah, you just don't know what waiver because it's, it's just don't. You just don't know. It's also it's like, it's like Amazon. It's like a conglomerate of different sellers. I really hate when I open a box of something. I bought off Wayfair and it has the California Yes. Warning on it. Yes. I'm like God dammit, now I'm going to kill myself sucked. And then it kind of smells. It's just off gassing just yeah, you just feel like horrible. I also not the same at all, but I'm very bad at gauging sizes. And so I'll think it's gonna be big and it comes in and it's like dollhouse size and I'm like, why is this $800 Okay, I made that mistake too many times. And I started measuring because I've even measured and so oh my god, that's hilarious. Okay, so the other pro last and final pro is that they're relatively affordable. I don't know what you normally pay for a rug. So I'm definitely saying relatively to talk Facebook marketplace. Okay, so where you go for free or like my buy nothing group? Yeah. So they're definitely not as cheap as they come. So for a new rug? I would say, I don't know people call it affordable is really such a subjective term. Right. It really is. And I have not bought a second Roadable rug rug because I'm like, holy shit. It's too expensive. No, yeah. I was just Googling as you were. Yeah. So an eight by 10. area rug cost between $489 $99. Yeah, depending on the 600 bucks. That's a lot. It is a rug. I mean, I think even though like my ex husband bought what the one that's in our living room now that I really want to get rid of. So I was thinking of replacing it with irrigable. One, because especially in the dining room. Washable is great, right? Yes. But yeah, I think that one even on Wayfarer was probably 200. And it's like a six by eight or whatever. Right. Yeah. And actually our old cheapo one. Well, it was big. I think it was like nine by 12. Right. That was like 300 400 bucks. So yeah, I mean, it's like pretty comparable, but it's not free. Not definitely not free. Not free. I was just looking on Craigslist, and there's some rugs. Jonathan Adler, this one was? There's a five by seven rug bubble rug. Oh, there you go. That's a good way to do it.$100. Fine. It's not the one that I want. Right. See, that's a five by seven. Yeah, but five by seven for $100. Yeah, that's not a bad deal. You could talk them down and be like, well, you like 45? I'm like, they're like cash only. And I'm like when you take 50 And then like, Sure. And then I'm like, kind of get changed for 60. And then they hate me forever. That's how I shop on Craigslist. Would you take a check? Okay, yeah. All right. So the cons of rug rug. Like I mentioned, they're not recyclable. So this is a rug thing, right. And it's a carpet industry thing in general, where they're not made to be recycled. And I think I read on that. I think it was the Gaia study. Yeah, it's like 1% of carpeting gets recycled. That's disgusting. And I think a lot of it is because of all of the chemicals that they add, or the way that it's manufactured. I think for irrigable it might be because it's made of plastic there, which makes no sense because you can recycle plastic but it but you can't not. Not in that. I mean, we need to go into that in our recycling season. But I can totally when it's in that state, you can't. Okay, that makes sense. Because I mean, it's fabric, right? So how the hell would you recycle that right? We have Yeah, fibers are really hard to recycle. Yeah. So if you choose to dispose of irrigable ROG it's going into the land. infill. So that's where that's where I have a problem with this idea that it's sustainable, because it's like, here's this claim that these rugs because they're washable are helping lower the amount of rugs in the landfill. But I'm like not necessarily sure that that's going to happen. Like, is that really true? You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah, I just don't think that that you really equate that much. I mean, a big reason. Okay. I will be honest, a big reason I got rid of my last rug that might be ignited by 12. One was because I didn't have the energy to clean it. So in that sense, because I literally for it took me like, it was like a year of being having these ambitions to go to the stupid grocery store because I think you can actually rent carpet cleaners from the grocery store. I don't know if you knew this. I did not know that. I just I have one. I just bought one. Dog. I need this one time, but But yeah, so I was planning to do this for like a full year. I was like this carpets disgusting. I also have a dog. It's really gross. And then I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So I ended up selling that rug on Facebook marketplace for like 50 bucks. I you know what? And that, you know, I would I have definitely found rugs on Facebook marketplace or like, the Buy Nothing group. Just, I even got one for one of my friends. Because, like they're just giving them away. And I think that's way better than throwing it away. Yeah, totally. And I was very upfront. Like, this is not a clean rug. Right. I was very like, please watch this. Go not feel free to take it. You can even barter with me. I don't think they did anything. They just gave me 50 bucks. But But yeah, so I mean, at least I didn't throw in the trash. Right. But I didn't have the energy to clean it. And it was a pain in my ass. So I got rid of it. So I mean, I guess in that sense, rug bubble could be saving rugs from going in the in the landfill? Yeah. But that's the only way that I can equate the two, right? Yeah. But yeah, I'm also not sure how much how much of a rug. How much of the rug industry is going into that 4 billion tonnes of carpet waste? Yeah, in the landfill. So yeah, that's one of the cons. It's not recyclable. Okay, made of plastic is the other con the so the good trade talks about it shedding microplastics when you wash it, right, which everything plastic does, as we know. But then on the other hand, some of the rugs are made from recycled water bottles, which is cool. The other con which isn't necessarily a con, but it's just something to think about is that it's not the only washable rug out there. So it's just interesting to me that these companies are marketing themselves as washable rugs. But like, I got a rug that's not sustainable in any way, shape, or form. I'll be honest, for Charlie's room, and before she was born, and it's a rag rug, it's like one of those big it's huge, but it's like a rag rug. Made out of rags I used to make the most my grandma actually was yes. I know what you're talking about. Yes. Yeah, the little machine and I would like roll it out. And she would pay me I think a no joke. $1 an hour. She would pay me $1 an hour to roll out rags it. Oh, good. I love it. But we also just spend time together. So that was nice. I mean that yeah, that's the best part. Yeah, and I'm maybe made like two bucks Max. But okay. The time was grandma, right? But then you know, this, this rag rug that I got for her room was 70 bucks. And it's lasted the same amount of time. It's washable. So it's like, I don't know. That's the other thing to think about is like, there are washable options out there. They're probably not going to be good for the environment. I mean, maybe there are some rag rugs that are but onto my rating. So from one to five granolas we rate things products overall washable rugs. One to five one is not great. Five is breaker tooth off super crunchy because you want to crunchy granola. So I'm reading washable rugs for all the reasons that I just mentioned. Chewy, so it's number three. Okay, fair smack dab in the middle. Not bad, not the most impressive product I've seen so far. So do I recommend rogol as a product? Yes, I totally do. I actually do really recommend it. But as a way to have a more sustainable Life that's less clear to me. Partially because I think in the end, it falls more on us as consumers. So, I'm gonna use myself as an example of your asshole capitalistic consumer, which we all are. We bought our rug bubble rug two years ago, right? I have since heard this. I was watching this YouTuber. She's like a Home Designer on YouTube. And I watched too many of these people really just make you feel bad about yourself really well that she did because she basically she didn't say the word basic. But in so many words she called my rug design. Basic, no. Which is fine, like because of your basic but subconsciously that has seeped into my brain and made me very over the pattern of the rug that I bought. No, no, let them do that to you. I know what. But so here's the thing. The fact that rug bubble is washable isn't going to stop like my never ending itch for your new hip. Yes, it's still going to be Yep. 100%. Yeah, so it's like, I'm just as likely to want to move on from that rug, because the design is like outdated because in like two or two to four years, I try to buy stuff that looks relatively timeless. Yeah, and this one is like pretty. I don't know. It's nothing crazy. And it's nothing super trendy. But right. It's like that. Sort of like a fake Persian rug, but faded in spots. I don't know. Yeah. You know what I'm talking about? Yes, I don't I have one under my dining room table currently. Okay. See, I like it. That's one of my ex husband bought that's pink and it doesn't know with my house, anyway. Yeah. But yeah, I feel like that design in two to four years is gonna be super outdated. Yeah, if it's not already, it probably is. I'm not that trendy. So like that train of trends and all that doesn't stop. So you're still gonna Yeah, that and that marketing crap again, right. You're not fulfilled. You need a new rug? Yes. Oh, is it ternium YouTuber, got into my little brain cavity and conduce me. I'm not saying I can't fight it. Because I think I can. But I think it just, it requires us to be so conscious of like, Why do I want a new rug? Why do I want a new rug? Because I've been thinking about it in the back of my mind for like months. And I never until I was doing all this research. I was like, holy shit. Well, then you just like, I have been thinking of replacing my rugs. Because first of all, most of them are cheap. That about it like garage sales are unfit, you know. Two of them. My ex husband's, you know, and do I like them enough? Are they great, right? Yeah, patch you choose. True, though. Yeah, that's worth it. So, but then I'm like, okay, so if I want it, I don't want to do Rackable I think I think you think you don't know, I think because I would want to do and I'm just sending you a link right now to like this Facebook marketplace when I would want to buy a used drug. Oh, yeah. Okay to keep it out of the landfill and then find a sustainable washing option. Well, that one's really pretty Yeah, but look at the so I just sent her one on Facebook marketplace because I was like casually browsing while you're talking just to see it's selling for$50 $20 It was listed 11 hours ago. It has water damage worth a couple 1000 lol need gone ASAP. was a beautiful rug right? is so pretty. So you can Okay, you can see I'm saying like take it to a cleaner but you actually can take those things to a cleaner. Yes. So interesting. That's really funny. I'm gonna buy something that's like maybe not water damage but like this. That's like old and legit and good. Yeah, but batch isn't my decor and is like something you know that because people are so disposable about things like rugs, furniture. So something like permanent feeling. Yeah, or just or just like not letting it get into a landfill feeling? Yeah, yes. I love that. And that you know, I felt that way about close to a lot of like I do a lot of goodwill shopping and stuff. Yeah, sometimes we need that for our we're gonna have a whole season about clothing but Oh totally. I just I get most of Charlie's clothes and from there she's gonna outgrow them in about 30 seconds. Yes. Why bother and tomorrow morally good thrift stores around here. I have a lot of fun with Yeah, yeah. I I kind of wish I had children just for that. Not really. That's a silly reason to want children. Even though it is actually yeah, yeah. And hand me downs from your friends when they have something really cute. Yes, it's you know it's cute when like all of your nephews have the same onesie that gets yes we have I got so many clothes hand me handed me handed down how can I get them to meet me down to hunted me? Down handed me so yeah, absolutely the best I'm like please God Yes Give me all your use clothes. Yeah so great. Especially because they just get avocado freakin point you know, I think that's hippies for brown so much in this Lastly, because they just got avocado all over them. Right? And hemp love it. So yeah, so that's what I mean, my conclusion as far as sustainable rugs is like, it's just it's on us to like hop off that train, like buying a rug is not going to. It's not going to make us more sustainable. In fact, if you don't need a rug, that's probably Yeah, your least sustainable option is going and buying a new rug. So yeah, especially if you're just gonna throw out your old again. I do love the Facebook marketplace for Yes, giving stuff away if you can repurpose stuff. Yeah. Yeah, reduce, reduce, reduce, then reuse, and recycle. Those are options. So yep. I love it. Okay, this is longer than I thought it was. I know we had a lot to say about rugs rug, talk. I mean, it's such an integral part of your home decor. Um, you can change a whole room, you know, it really can and change your mood about that room and everything. And let me tell you all of the Instagramers that I follow with How would I describe bittersweet? Love hate. Some of them more hate than love and some of them more love than hate. But anyway, um, all of them, man, they love their rugs. And they are good at placing rug. You can look clean. I'm like, Yeah, it's so clean. I know. It's not clean. No, I vacuum a lot. Yes, well, luckily, Wine Stains don't show up on my big red carpet. There you go. Avocado, my butt. Right one on the other. Yeah, watch out with that next taco night. All right. Well, that's it though. So cool. Well, I thank you for taking me on this journey with you. I feel I do feel like I learned a lot and I am. It is helping me really cement that. I do want to get a used drug. I love it. Okay, see, that's even better. I love that so much. Yeah. Neat. I'll see with typing in the background like Sir taper, right? Yeah, no, it's I mean, it's it's fun for me. I love Craigslist, shopping and things. But I know same. I'm a huge fan. Actually, the desk I'm sitting at I got off Craigslist. It's like an antique. But any who's. Alright, so next time, we are starting our series of homemade DIY cleaners. Yes. So we're going to test out a couple we're going to test them. Well, first off, we're gonna look up some recipes, test them, research whether they're eco friendlier or not. And to start cat is going to talk about homemade window cleaner. Oh, yeah. If you're a windex fan, right. I feel like Windex. Every time I spray it. I'm like, I know. I know that job. I'll probably start this. Well, okay. Remind me to start the podcast off next week talking about my high school job using Windex. Okay. Yes. Don't be like hey, what was your high school job? And I'll be like, and how did you use Windex and you will be like, holy cannoli is what you will say. Okay, I'll remember to say that I'll try it. I'll forget. But and yeah, if you find a recipe, send it to me and I'll try it too. Okay. So listeners do us a favor. And if you like our podcast take, we we ask that you take 30 seconds and leave a five star review. Wherever you listen to podcasts, because it really helps us a lot. And if you're tech no challenge technologically challenged like me. I don't know what to tell you. Because I don't either. I don't really know how to leave a five star review. But it's not that hard. To do that hard. Yeah, it's not it's not you just click it. When in your wherever you listen to your podcasts. We'll be right under the name. You should be stars and just make them all full. Make them all yellow. Yes. And then we would love you always for it. And we'll love you anyway, but we'll be extra. All right, well, that That's all I got all right till next time thanks Tiffany

Intro
Washable Rugs
TLDR/Granola Rating
Recommendations Going Forward