NATURAL FIBER CARPETS
Carpets made from natural fibers have become increasingly popular in recent years. Previously, synthetic fibers were the choice for most households. Their novelty, wide variety of styles, and low cost were appealing to many people. However, synthetic fibers are losing some popularity because of the difficulty of recycling them and their possible negative effects on people’s health. Are you looking for a carpet in a natural fiber? These are a few of your options.
Table of contents
Plant Fibers
Plant fibers are cheaper and usually more environmentally friendly than animal fibers. They can be hardier as well, but most of them aren’t as soft or as comfortable as fibers made from other types of products. Let’s take a look at four of the most common plant fibers.
Abaca
Abaca, also known as Manila hemp, is a type of banana. It yields a soft, shiny fiber that is visually appealing. It is also reasonably durable and stands up quite well to foot traffic. Finally, abaca is water resistant, unlike most of the other natural fibers on this list.
Bamboo
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world. It can grow as high as an adult human in two days! Bamboo wood is used for many products, but the fiber taken from inside the bamboo plant can also be used for rugs and carpets. This fabric is called “bamboo silk” and although it is as beautiful as real silk, it is also just as hard to care for. These rugs are very easy to crush, stain or ruin with water.
Cotton
Cotton is a favorite fabric for anything from shirts to book bindings to tents, so it goes without saying that you can find carpets made of cotton as well. This fabric is soft and cozy and can come in vibrant colors to brighten up a room. The big drawback of cotton is that it isn’t as durable as most of the other fibers on this list, although it does resist fading quite well. It can stain easily and doesn’t hold up well to foot traffic, making it a better option for bedrooms or sitting areas.
SEAGRASS
Seagrass is a kind of grass that grows near the ocean. Because Seagrass has a rough textured appearance, it has surprising stain resistance. The smoothness of a Seagrass carpet will decrease with time, possibly making it unsuitable for use on stairs. Seagrass is one of the most durable plant fibers, but it is not very resistant to mold and mildew. It should never be cleaned with water.
JUTE
Jute is one of the most comfortable natural carpet fibers. It may be suitable for bedrooms and other parts of the house where comfort is required. This durable fiber comes from the vegetable of the same name, and is the most widely produced natural fiber after cotton. It is one of the most eco-friendly fibers, since it is easy to grow. One drawback of jute is its tendency to stain easily.
Hemp
Hemp is taken from the cannabis plant. This is another fast growing plant, and although it can’t match bamboo for sustainability it more than makes up for it in durability. Hemp fibers are long and easy to work with, and this makes them very strong. These rugs are stain resistant, easy to clean and resist dirt and dust. However, as with most natural fibers, you should never wet a hemp rug to clean it.
COIR
Coconut husk coir carpet is a sturdy, long-lasting material. It has a rough feel on bare feet, so room choice would be significant when picking coir carpets, but it is a hard-wearing substance that can liven up a space. Coir, unlike jute, is very stain and water resistant.
SISAL
This is a durable natural fiber derived from the Sisal plant, which takes daily usage well. Because sisal sits on the softer end of the natural fiber carpet spectrum, it may be a more appealing choice in some spaces. It isn’t as soft as jute, but it is hardier and more stain resistant. It isn’t very water resistant, however, so keep that in mind when placing it.
Animal Fibers
The main type of animal fiber used in clothes and carpet is wool. Wool usually comes from sheep, but can be taken from other animals as well. It is soft, long lasting, water-resistant, and fairly easy to clean. Unfortunately, wool carpet is also susceptible to staining. The other popular fiber that comes from an animal is silk. Silk is a soft, luxurious and beautiful fabric, but it is breathtakingly expensive and very high-maintenance.
Questions and Answers
What is natural fiber carpet?
A natural fiber carpet is a carpet that is made from plant or animal fibers instead of synthetic fibers. These carpets are very eco-friendly and won’t spread microplastics or plastic dust around your home. They can be put into the compost when they get worn-out instead of going into a landfill. They come in a wide range of durability and softness.
What is the softest natural fiber carpet?
The softest natural fiber carpets are the ones that come from animals, wool and silk. Both are somewhat expensive, with wool being the most affordable of the two. If you want a carpet that is both soft and relatively inexpensive, a cotton carpet could be your best option.
What natural fiber of carpet is the most durable?
Of all the carpet fibers on our list, the one that holds up best to punishment is hemp. This fiber is famous for use in ropes and other applications where strong durability is needed. Coir and sisal are also very durable choices. Hemp has the highest tensile strength, while coir has a higher impact strength. This means that coir is a bit more resistant to crushing, while hemp is more resistant to stretching.
What is the most eco friendly carpet?
This question is more complicated than it appears. All natural fibers can be environmentally friendly, but much depends on the business practices of the company producing the product. Some things to consider are which chemicals are used, where are the crops grown or animals raised, and how far do the products (carpets and/or rugs) travel to reach their destination. If you are concerned about how your purchase will affect the environment, it is possible to find organic or sustainable companies that produce your preferred natural carpet fiber!
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a wide variety of natural fibers, each one with its own charms and advantages. No matter which carpet or rug you choose, you can trust our professional cleaners to know how to handle it! Give us a call for your carpet cleaning needs, we serve Marietta, Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Decatur, Brookhaven, and many other areas around Atlanta.
