Improving the home through interior design is an exciting way to bring new life back into your living space. One trend that has been gaining in popularity is the inclusion of natural rugs. However, it only takes a quick Google to understand that it is important to know beforehand how to care for a sisal rug to make sure it stays looking great.
With the growing interest in sisal carpet as a flooring solution, there is an equally expanding issue on the subject. Too often sisal rug owners will find recommendations on how to clean the rug that will end up further damaging it.
With this article, we want to address those common pieces of misinformation and give owners a complete guide on how to care for a sisal rug.
What is Sisal?
Sisal or Agave Sisalana to give its scientific name, is an organic fibre traditionally used in rope manufacture.
It is difficult to pinpoint an exact date but sisal likely began being used as a carpet material in the late 19th century. It gained popularity significantly in the late 20th century due to its durability, unique aesthetic and environmental sustainability.
In recent years it has continued to grow in popularity. It is projected that the global sisal market will increase by at least 4.2% over the next 8 years due to its versatility.
Does Sisal Make Good Rugs?
With its durability and versatile style sisal makes for an excellent rug material.
Unlike other natural flooring, sisal can absorb natural vegetable dyes to take on colour. This means that not only can you have a wide variety of colour variations. But you do not have to sacrifice the non-toxic benefits of the natural fibre.
Another brilliant facet of sisal is that due to its popularity, it is available in a wide variety of weave designs. Herringbone, boucle, stripes and more, it is safe to say you will find any style of sisal rug to suit your home.
The variety in which this material is employed also means that rugs are not their only use case. Sisal is also manufactured as a fully fitted carpet and as natural staircase runners.
It is due to this versatility that it easy often quite easy to find high-quality bespoke sisal rugs. This allows users to tailor-make a natural rug to fit whatever style they have in their home.
What Other Benefits Do Sisal Rugs Have?
Aside from their attractive appearance and versatility to fit both modern and boho interior designs, these rugs have some other unique properties.
As mentioned briefly before, sisal rugs are considered to be non-toxic. This means they do not produce VOCs (volatile organic compounds), these chemicals have regularly been associated with human health issues.
Another feature of sisal carpets is that they are completely moth and larvae-proof. This combination of non-toxic and moth-proof qualities is incredibly special. Popular rug choices like pure wool which also seek to avoid VOCs do not enjoy the same resistance to moths and their larvae.
Because sisal rugs do not have this trade-off. This means that those who suffer from chemical intolerances or just want cleaner air in their home won’t have to worry about insect infestations in their carpet. In contrast, when purchasing a wool rug the owner must debate using a moth repellent (which would effectively make the VOC quality of wool carpets moot) or replacing their carpet if they become infested.
Are Sisal Rugs Easy to Stain?
Outside of the many benefits of sisal rugs, they have also gained a reputation for being easy to stain. This is possibly the only concern new owners have for this type of material.
The reason for this reputation mostly has to do with the fact that it is possible to stain sisal with water. A lot of man-made rugs and carpets are fairly resilient against standard water stains. The trade-off of course comes with a carpet usually made with plastic or fibres that have VOCs. This is not to mention the unsustainability of carpets that do not biodegrade after use like sisal does.
Fortunately, there are many ways owners of these natural rugs can manage this risk.
How to Care for a Sisal Rug.
So let’s explore the steps new owners should take when considering upgrading their flooring with sisal.
Include Stain Protection.
One of the best things new owners can do to protect this and any other carpet is to buy stain protection.
Most sisal carpet sellers will have the option to include some kind of stain treatment already applied to the material. A tip for those looking to buy is that if you do want to avoid chemicals go to retailers that specialise in these types of natural carpets and high-quality bespoke sisal rugs.
The reason for this is because they will usually know that people choose this material for its chemical-free benefits. Because of this consideration, the stain protection used is often also chemical-free. One such protection to look out for is Intec Stain Protection. This stain protection is water-based and so does not add VOCs to the rugs or carpet it is applied to.
Intec works to act as a barrier between any spills and the material it is applied to. The addition of this product means that owners get more time to treat stains before they sink into the fibres.
Be Prepared with a Cleaning Kit
Preparation is key when it comes to keeping sisal rugs clean. It is not always enough to have stain protection included. Making sure that you have the right products to clean any stains in good time is vital in the process.
Many sources state that you can clean sisal or other natural flooring with water or soap. This is 100% false. If you try to treat the material in this way you will likely increase the area of the stain.
A tip here is to make sure that you have the right cleaning products for the job. Because sisal is a natural product it does not react well to typical cleaning products for carpets. We once again recommend seeking experts in this area and getting their advice on which cleaning kits can be used on this type of material.
You want to make sure that when looking to buy any product for your carpet you look for one that specifies that it can clean natural carpets and not damage them further; if bleach is present in the product you should avoid it.
Once you have identified the right cleaning kit we advise you to get one BEFORE a stain occurs. When it comes to keeping sisal rugs looking new time is of the essence. If you spill something on these carpets it is important to address the accident immediately. Waiting days for a kit to arrive in the post may mean it is already too late.
The Method Matters.
Often overlooked in sisal rug cleaning guides is the method in how you clean the product. When treating a stain on sisal flooring it is important not to rub the stain. The best way to address stains on this carpet is to blot the spill up with a dry towel.
The reason for this is that due to sisal being highly absorbent, you don’t want to push the liquid into more fibres or work it further into the fibres the spill has already reached.
Most cleaning kits purchased from reliable retailers in this space will come with instructions. Those instructions are always explicit with the method and come with the right tools needed to clean sisal correctly.
Can Sisal Rugs Be Vaccumed?
Yes, sisal rugs can be vacuumed. Another myth that has persisted in recent years is that you can damage your sisal rug through vacuuming. The reasoning given for this is that powerful hoovers can pull up the fibres of the carpet.
A lot of this theory has come from simply putting 2+2 together and getting 5. Not too long ago there was outrage at people finding that their powerful vacumes had pulled parts of their carpet out. This discovery was not even originally noted explicitly in natural carpets. This was an issue discovered across all carpets.
The improvements by certain manufacturers in power had resulted in vacuums that were damaging their carpets. Observations of the damage to carpets caused concern that due to the woven nature of sisal carpets, they would surely be more vulnerable to this issue.
However, this is nothing more than unsubstantiated claims. Sisal carpets are woven incredibly tightly and are no less durable to foot traffic or vacuums than any other flooring choice.
Summary.
Myths around sisal rugs and carpets are prevalent. Often the reason for this is because fitting these as fully fitted solutions is challenging.
Unfortunately, many of these rumours have persisted over the years due to people not wanting the hassle of fitting the carpet, or simply lacking the experience or skill to do so. This reluctance to fit the carpets has resulted in misinformation being spread to put consumers off from buying them.
This brings us to a quick myth-busting opportunity in Sisals’ use case for stairs. A prominent rumour in the industry has been touted on the subject of whether sisal carpet for staircase runners is safe. To address this, we can we can confirm it is safe and meets all EU standards for slip testing.
Despite this, the increased focus on making sustainable choices has resulted in sisal rugs and carpets continuing to gain in popularity.
The guide above should hopefully dispel some of these myths for our users. Opening the door to a wonderful and versatile new option when looking for a new rug.
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