What Is Seagrass?
Seagrass made into carpet and rugs is similar in appearance to sisal. It is a woven product that offers a variety of styles and colors. Being a natural product, it is difficult to dye therefore it tends to be sold in natural shades of brown and pale green. The unique natural look of seagrass is part of its appeal.
Seagrass is produced in China where areas of land are flooded by the sea. After being harvested, the seagrass is dried out and spun into fabric similar to strands of sisal. These strands are woven into rugs, carpet, and other products.
The inherent natural qualities of seagrass are very similar to sisal (link here to sisal). Seagrass should not be saturated with water and is sensitive to moisture. It also stains fairly easily making it a poor choice for areas prone to spills. As with sisal, seagrass has a tendency to mat down in high traffic areas making it a poor choice for hallways and other such locations.
If you do spill something on seagrass, gently blot up the substance with paper towels. Be sure to clean below as well if it's a rug. If the substance is thick like honey, use a credit card or other object with a soft plastic edge to gently scrap away at the material. Be careful when using spot removers as they can permanently stain seagrass.
We recommend having a professional dry clean the carpet or rug. If you prefer to do it yourself, there are some dry cleaning powders on the market which may be effective. We don't advise saturating the area with water as this can cause the seagrass to shrink. As always, check with the floor coverings manufacturer to find the best way to clean the product.
We do not recommend installing seagrass on stairs or landings approaching stairs due to the smoothness of the product. We don't want you to slip and injure yourself. A nylon carpet is probably a better choice.
Seagrass can be installed as a wall to wall carpeting or as a rug. Wall to wall seagrass can either be installed with a carpet pad, or glued directly to the surface. Ask your carpet salesman which is the best choice for your particular situation.
When buying a rug be sure to purchase rug padding specific to the type of flooring you'll be placing the rug upon. Seagrass can scratch wood flooring if a proper backing is not used. You can find rug pads at almost any store selling rugs and carpet. You can also find them online with a bit of searching.
Seagrass carpet has many of the same appealing qualities of sisal making it a good choice when touching up a room. The right rug or carpet can add flair to a room and really make it stand out. You can read about sisal rugs here.