It’s the nightmare scenario for any sisal carpet owner, you sit down to relax and just as you get comfortable and put your feet up you knock over your beverage and are frantically googling “how to clean sisal carpets”.
Its at this point you might find many articles giving bad advice. Often telling consumers to clean it with water, or scrub it with a towel. Far too often we get phone calls from people who have either improvised or taken poor advice and are wondering how to get rid of a now even bigger stain.
The best single piece of advice on keeping your sisal carpet is to be prepared. Knowing what not to do and having the right cleaning solutions on hand can determine whether you manage to clean up a stain or make it worse.
Here we will go over the dos and don’ts of cleaning sisal carpets and what you can do to be prepared for spills.
How Not To Clean Sisal Carpets:
Using Water
One of the most common mistakes people make when treating a stain on sisal carpet is using water.
Sisal naturally absorbs liquids and so adding extra fluids to an already stained sisal floorcovering will only increase the stains size.
Rubbing The Stain
Another big no no for cleaning these gorgeous natural carpets is rubbing the stain to remove it.
In most cases when we spill something on our clothes or furniture our instinct is to apply pressure and rub where the stain is to remove it. When it comes to sisal however (and actually most materials), rubbing only serves to further imbed the stain.
Using Standard Carpet Cleaners
We have all been there, in a panic we go into our cupboard and grab the first carpet cleaner and start scrubbing. Unfortunately if you do this with a natural carpet like sisal you will likely stain the carpet further.
Most carpet cleaners you buy at the supermarket are made for use on carpets made from synthetic materials. These carpets are usually able to handle strong chemicals due to their made made composition.
However, as with any sisal rug or carpet you cant just use any stain solution to mop up your spills. If you were to use these more chemically harsh solutions you will likely dye or stain your flooring further.
This is why we stock Care & Cleaning Kits specifically designed for natural flooring. These kits are able to clean your carpet and not leave further stains when doing so.
How You Should Clean Sisal Carpet:
Be Prepared For Trouble
The absolute best advice for keeping sisal carpet clean is to be prepared. Including Intec stain treatment and having a natural carpet cleaner on hand is vital to ensuring stains can be treated correctly.
Intec stain protection will act as a barrier between your sisal carpet and the stain. This gives more time for you to correctly dry up the spill before it starts to sink into the fibres.
Having a cleaning kit on hand just in case means you are already prepared for the worst. Each cleaning kit comes with an instruction manual on how to use it to get the best results.
Dab The Stain Not Rub
Dabbing the stain with a dry cloth will allow you to soak up extra liquid without working it into the natural fibres.
This might take a little longer than scrubbing would but as mentioned previously. But you will only make the stain worse if you try to treat sisal runners, carpets or rugs this way.
Reacting Quickly
It is essential when cleaning your natural rugs or carpet that you react as fast as possible to accidents.
The longer dirt or liquid sits on the carpet the longer it has to be absorbed by the natural fibres. Don’t panic but make sure you don’t dally. This is why the first point on being prepared is so important. waiting to order your cleaning kit after the spill has occurred could already be too late.
So there you have it, the most important information on how to clean sisal carpets.
If you would like to protect your existing floor we do offer a carpet stain protection service. Our service allows you to book a technician who will come to your home and spray your carpet even if it has already been installed.
As standard we include stain protection on all of our products and orders.
Still thinking about which natural flooring choice is best for you? Read our latest blog on which is better Jute or Sisal.
If sisal is right for you, why not read our article addressing common questions about sisal carpet. Also read our blog on why you should choose a bespoke natural rug.
