LESLIE: Martha in Washington, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?
MARTHA: I had throw rugs on my kitchen and bathroom floor. And the backing had turned yellow from being washed so many times. And the yellow from the backing went onto the linoleum and I cannot get it off.
TOM: It did. Yeah. And you know why, Martha?
MARTHA: Why?
TOM: Because the yellow didn’t go from the throw rug to the linoleum. When you put a rubber-backed throw rug on linoleum, you get a chemical reaction called “oxidation” that physically changes the color of both products.
MARTHA: Oh.
TOM: And so what you have is a stained – a permanently-stained floor. You’re not going to be able to clean it; you have to replace it. And when you buy new linoleum, some of the manufacturers even warn you about this, because so many of us like those rubber-backed throw rugs as a place to stand on near the sink and whatnot.
LESLIE: And you’re not going to go slipping and sliding.
MARTHA: Yeah.
TOM: Exactly. But it’s really bad for that kind of floor.
MARTHA: I see. OK. I guess I’m stuck.
LESLIE: Well, you can always get a bigger rug.
TOM: Yeah, that’s right. To cover the stain.
MARTHA: Yeah, OK.
TOM: Martha, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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