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What are natural carpets made of?

Our natural carpets are beautiful floor coverings made from materials that are considered sustainable and renewable. Our wholesome natural carpets are plant-based, so you know you're choosing the eco friendly option. The natural fibres are often undyed, unprocessed and consist of raw products such as seagrass, jute, coir and sisal. Fantastically textural underfoot, natural plant fibre carpets usually span a wide range of natural tones, working perfectly with most decor choices.

To find out more about individual plant fibres and how they are made into textile floor coverings click here.

What is the best natural carpet?

Welcome to feel-good flooring. When it comes to deciding the best natural carpet for your home, it is down to two things, the feel you want underfoot and durability. Jute is a supremely soft fibre, this golden hued carpet is great for bedrooms and lounge spaces but not recommended for stairs as it is so, so soft. Sisal however, especially the designs with slight flecks in the weave, is a hard wearing and durable natural fibre, perfect for stairs and all living spaces.

Seagrass and coir carpets provide a more rustic country feel and are chunky and hard wearing. A worthy note: We do not recommend Seagrass for stairs as the natural oils overtime could become slippery. Seagrass is also not suited to high moisture areas. 

The possibilities when it comes to natural carpets are most certainly endless. If you had to make us choose, hero of the hallway, saviour of stairs, exotic sisal carpets are the smart, sustainable choice for any home.

What is the softest natural carpet?

A silky-soft jute carpet is the softest natural carpet you can get for your home. The plant fibre is naturally soft, with fibres that are spun, bundled and soaked in water which only adds to their luxurious softness. It won't irritate the skin and all  jute floor coverings, carpets, rugs and runners are naturally moth resistant. It may even be the most eco thing you can put on your floor!

This natural flooring has maximum sustainability creds, is too soft for stairs but  perfect for bedrooms, dining rooms and lounge spaces.

Are natural carpets environmentally friendly?

Natural carpets are made from plant fibre materials and mostly backed with natural latex. All of our natural carpet fibres are ethically sourced and through our partnership with Ecologi, we positively give back to other countries through various climate positive projects, including countries where our plant fibre flooring is grown.

We use recycled and recyclable packaging as well as FSC accredited sources, and we plant a tree for every sample ordered on our website in our Alternative Forest. Doing the right thing means the world to us. We are carpetmakers with a conscience, and like to be totally transparent about everything we do. We use ethically-sourced natural fibres wherever we can and build long lasting relationships with our farmers, graders, spinners, weavers, dyers, designers and manufacturers.

How to clean natural fibre carpet?

We do not recommend using water or steam extraction for natural plant fibre and delicate floor coverings. Natural fibres such as jute, coir, seagrass and sisal contain natural colouring that is not colourfast. Jute can be particularly susceptible to colour loss through bleaching.

To avoid spots, spills and stains from becoming permanent, clean them up as soon as they occur. Please be aware that some things can immediately stain (or remove colour from) the floor covering permanently and this cannot be reversed. If you are entertaining, don’t wait until your guests have gone - speed is of the essence.

As with any spill or potential stain, it’s vital to blot the area with a clean cloth as soon as it occurs. Remember not to use anything like dish washing liquid or other cleaning agents that were not meant for carpets as this can leave behind an unpleasant residue which could spoil the natural carpet.

We've partnered with WoolSafe, our cleaning partner, who is able to give expert cleaning advice for natural fibre carpets. Our Natural Flooring Care Kits are also WoolSafe approved for use on natural fibre floor coverings. Click here to find out more.

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The Edit - home style by Alternative