When Suman Kejriwal began creating her daughter’s nursery, she followed a friend’s advice to stick with natural fibers. But as she browsed major retailer websites, a troubling pattern emerged. “Most of the designs I loved turned out to be polyester or polypropylene,” she recalls. Frustrated, she turned to Reddit, where she found countless threads of parents discussing the same problem: limited options and a complete lack of transparency from rug brands.
But the real revelation came during her deeper research into what conventional rugs actually contain. “I realized that most conventional rugs are basically chemical cocktails,” Kejriwal explains. “Synthetic rugs use petroleum fibers glued to latex backing, and they offgas a soup of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene, toluene and formaldehyde, plus 4-phenylcyclohexene—the chemical behind that ‘new carpet’ smell—and shed microplastics for years.”
The statistics she uncovered were even more alarming. A 2021 Australian study found that homes with carpet had nearly twice the microplastic dust of those without carpet. Perhaps most concerning: microplastics have been found in placentas and baby waste, showing these particles are making their way into the most vulnerable bodies.
The science behind the concern
For millennial and Gen-Z parents who grew up with increased awareness of environmental toxins, understanding what happens when children play on synthetic rugs is crucial. Kejriwal breaks it down simply: “Polyester and polypropylene rugs are made of plastic fibers. When kids crawl, walk or play on them, the fibers rub together and tiny bits break off as micro-fibers.”
These microplastics don’t just disappear—they become part of your home’s ecosystem. “These micro-fibers can stay trapped in the rug or get kicked up in the air and eventually settle into household dust,” she explains. “Kids are closer to the floor and they’re constantly putting their hands in their mouths, which puts them at a higher risk of inhaling or ingesting these microplastics.”
The problem extends beyond synthetic fibers. Even rugs marketed as “natural” often contain hidden dangers. Wool and cotton rugs typically feature synthetic latex backing and are treated with mothproofing insecticides, meaning they still release chemicals and shed microplastic fibers.
Red flags every parent should know
Not all marketing language is created equal, and savvy parents need to know what to watch for. Kejriwal warns against unregulated terms like “non-toxic,” “natural,” and “eco-friendly” when they lack certification backing. More specifically concerning are products labeled as “stain-resistant” or “water-repellent.”
“Those finishes are often PFAS (fluorinated chemicals) or fluorine-free substitutes like silicones, acrylics, or polyurethane coatings,” she explains. Parents should also investigate the backing and adhesives, asking specifically about flame retardants, antimicrobial treatments, and mothproofing insecticides.
When shopping for rugs, Kejriwal recommends asking three key questions:
- What materials are used in the rug’s construction, including pile, backing, and adhesives?
- What finishes and treatments are applied, including mothproofing, flame retardants, and stain-resistant treatments?
- What third-party certifications support safety claims?
The gold standard solution
Frustrated by the lack of transparent, genuinely safe options, Kejriwal partnered with her MBA classmate Melissa Yuen to create Sage & Wild, a line of soft, safe and washable kid-friendly rugs that perform as beautifully as they protect. Their approach was uncompromising: if they wouldn’t put it in their own children’s rooms, it wouldn’t make it into their product line.
They chose Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification—notoriously difficult to achieve but the gold standard for textile safety. Unlike other certifications that test finished products and allow certain substances below defined limits, GOTS bans entire classes of chemicals outright across the entire production process.
“GOTS governs the whole system—materials, chemistry, process, people, and chain-of-custody—not just the finished rug,” Kejriwal explains. This “seed to stitch” approach means certification starts at cotton farms and follows every stage through spinning, weaving, dyeing, finishing, and even trading.
The result is rugs made from responsibly sourced wool and GOTS-certified organic cotton with GOTS-approved, low-impact dyes, free from synthetic fibers, synthetic latex, stain-resistant finishes, and mothproofing treatments.
Making safety practical
Perhaps most importantly for busy parents, Sage & Wild rugs are machine washable—a feature that seems obvious but is surprisingly rare in the market. “Many parents find themselves choosing between creating a beautiful, safe space for their children and having something that can handle the chaos of real family life,” Kejriwal notes. “We wanted to meet families exactly where they are, in the beautiful messiness of it all.”
This practical approach extends to their purchasing advice for budget-conscious families. Rather than overwhelming parents with the need to replace everything immediately, Kejriwal recommends prioritizing rooms where children spend the most time: typically bedrooms and playrooms.
For families who can’t make immediate changes, she suggests a simple 10-minute floor audit: “If it’s a synthetic or stain-treated rug, make that your first change—swap to untreated natural fiber with a natural rubber pad and skip ‘stain-resistant’ finishes. If a full swap isn’t possible today, make that zone shoe-free and vacuum weekly.”
The future of family-safe design
Kejriwal’s vision extends beyond just rugs. She hopes that within five years, families will be able to shop for home textiles the same way they shop for food—with clear ingredient labels, no mystery finishes, and meaningful certifications.
“My hope is that chemical-free becomes the norm and parents don’t have to be detectives to find safe options for their families,” she says.
For Sage & Wild, this means expanding beyond children’s spaces to cover entire homes, recognizing that “little feet roam everywhere, and every room deserves the same safe, beautiful foundation.”
Taking action today
The transformation from concerned parent to business owner taught Suman and Melissa that change starts with individual families making informed choices. Their north star remains simple: “Would we choose this for our own children?”
For parents reading this who want to make an immediate difference, their advice is clear: start with the room your family actually lives in. Examine what your children’s hands and knees touch daily, and prioritize replacing synthetic or chemically treated surfaces in those high-traffic areas.
The conversation around home textile safety is evolving, driven by parents asking better questions and some state governments beginning to restrict harmful chemicals. But real change will require federal disclosure requirements and strict bans on chemicals known to pose health risks.
Until then, companies like Sage & Wild are proving that parents don’t have to choose between beautiful design and family safety—they can have both. As Kejriwal puts it, the goal is empowering parents “to approach spills, art projects, and everyday adventures head-on, knowing they can simply throw the rug in the wash instead of feeling helpless when life happens on the floor.”
In a world where our homes should be our safest spaces, that peace of mind is invaluable.