pashtuda's Profile

Three days ago I picked up a new and unused rug from a local and reputable vendor of Surya rugs. The moment we unrolled the 100% wool rug from its original packaging the room filled with a thick, clinging odor that can only be described as wet puppy fur. Even in a well-ventilated space, the 5x8 rug is emitting enough odor to fill the house. If I had gotten this rug for free I might be more willing to try “home remedies” like baking soda and charcoal, or invest in a professional cleaning. But considering that I already spent hundreds of dollars on this new rug, I do not want to invest any extra money into addressing this odor problem since I did not cause it.

Surya describes the rug I bought as "100% Wool, Hand Crafted, Made in India."

I contacted the company this morning and I am waiting for a response. I hope I can get this matter resolved quickly.

I winced when I saw the middle photo featuring an exposed lens so close to that woman’s thumb.
Tip #1: Cap your lenses!

Our 1936 house has mint green wall tile paired with border tile featuring a sweet floral motif in light butter yellow and periwinkle. The walls are fine, but the floor is with sage and cream basket weave tile. It almost does not work. I like the vintage tile so much, though, that I am willing to live with the odd color combination.

A few months ago we cleaned out the ash trap at the base of our house's chimney (our house was built in 1936--we just moved in a few months ago).

We opened the little iron hatch in the basement wall, and armed with a small trowels we began scooping out the fine, powder ash.

For over two hours we scooped out 12 large garbage bags of ash, momentarily lost a poker in the chimney shaft, and developed short-term coughs (we really should have been wearing protective gear).

Shaking off the ash we found almost an perfectly preserved Raleigh cigarette package, perhaps dating to the 1940s or 1950s.There was an empty box of Smith Brothers cough drops (circa 1940s), a small bottle, and a remnant of milky glass. I did pull out other things, including charred lumps of wood, nails, and bottle caps, but those were not as pretty. Though the finds were humble and closely resembled garbage, I loved the idea of connecting with generations that lived in the house before us.

All of the finds suggested to us that no one had ever taken the time to clean out the ash trap in the life of the house!