Care for Natural Fiber Carpet & Rugs

Such as jute, sisal, seagrass, abaca and rafia​

General Care
The best care you give your natural fiber floor covering is regular, thorough vacuuming.  For best results, vacuum from different directions, making several passes over the same area.  Heaviest traffic areas require the most attention and should receive regular vacuuming every week.

General Vacuuming Advice
Ensure that the vacuum beater bar is properly adjusted,  Damage to the carpet or rug fibers can occur if the brushes are set too low.  The head of a vacuum should be adjusted so that the brushes barely touch the face of the carpet or rug.  Do not use a vacuum that automatically adjusts, as it will adjust too low and damage the fibers.  If the beater bar/brushes cannot be adjusted it is advised to turn off the beater bar.  Some vacuums with extreme suction or an aggressive beater bar should not be used at all.  This could cause excessive sprouting or fuzzing of the fibers.

Make sure that the bottom of the vacuum is not worn or has sharp edges.  Things like paperclips or staples can get caught in the vacuum and seriously damage carpet or rugs.  Make sure the bag or canister is not overly full.  Check and hoses or tunnels for clogs.  

 Cleaning your carpet or rug
Never saturate your carpet or rug with water or cleaner.  This will stain it.  Any method that involves saturation with water, such as steam cleaning or wet shampooing should NOT be used.  These methods can cause shrinkage and staining of natural fibers.

When liquid spills occur, blot up (do not rub) immediately with a clean, dry, undyed, cotton cloth.  If the spilled material is solid, or close to solid, scrape up as much as possible with a dull-edged spatula or spoon.  If a shop vac (wet vac) is handy, use the suction to pull the spill strait up into the vac.  This will pull up much of the spill or stain without spreading it.

Dry extraction methods of cleaning spills and stains are recommended.  Use products such as Host Dry Carpet Cleaning System (hostdry.com), Capture (captureclean.com) or Wool Clean by Wools of New Zealand (Amazon or Green Building Supply).  Always test the cleaning method in an inconspicuous spot to insure that color is not affected.

Carpet & rug backing
Many rugs have a natural latex backing to keep the rug stable.  Latex can react unfavorably with wood and vinyl floors; can mix with cleaning agents, waxes or other floor surface finishes to discolor the floor; or latex could become sticky or crumbly.  It is always recommended to use a pad beneath rugs.  

Newly opened rolls of latex-backed rugs or carpet may have the scent of ammonia.  This will dissipate within 24-48 hours.