If you have hardwood, tile or linoleum floors, chances are you have rugs scattered around, either in high traffic areas or under big furniture pieces.

When we decided to buy a house with  mainly hardwood, I just started looking at affordable, cute rugs. Then I read an article in a magazine about the toxins that can leach out of rugs made of synthetic fibers.

The magazine article recommended sisal or jute rugs, which are made of natural materials. These are fairly common, so I didn’t think we’d have much of a problem finding them. Oddly, we did. But only because those rugs are more commonly sold in the summer months than the fall/winter months, at least in our area.

One seller recommended wool rugs, which are very pricey. But, they are environmentally friendly, since wool is a natural, renewable resource.

Another told us that since we had two boys, we needed to buy cheap synthetic rugs instead of wool, because our kids would destroy wool rugs. The guy also said something about wool fibers pilling up and the boys putting the little balls in their noses. I’m not so sure about the fibers pilling up, but I’m sure two toddlers would do a number on an expensive rug.

Due to the price of wool and the high probability that our sons would destroy a nice rug, we decided to look for jute rugs.

Since price is always a factor with us, we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to find a natural rug that fit our budget. Luck was on our side, though and we managed to find a nice ,big jute rug on clearance at our local Lowe’s! I’m assuming it was on clearance because jute rugs are more common in the summer and we were shopping for one in the fall. 

We also found an organic bamboo rug on clearance at TJ Maxx.  I was shocked by the selection of eco-friendly rugs at TJ Maxx. They had some Shaw rugs made out of recycled bottles (similar to Eco-fi) as well as some  nice cotton rugs.

If you are looking for eco-friendly rugs, and trying to stick to a budget, I suggest shopping in the fall and always checking the clearance sections of stores. We had no idea TJ Maxx carried larger rugs, or eco-friendly options.

It’s good to know that with a little searching (combining trips to minimize gas usage, of course!) you can find good prices on several eco-friendly options.

Where have you found a surprisingly eco-friendly stash of products?