We wet clean sisal rugs.  We know, we know…the manufactures don’t recommend you wet clean sisal!.  They recommend using absorbent powered cleaning agents.  Although this is safe, it does not 1) improve the appearance of your sisal rug and 2) it does not properly get the dirt off your sisal rug and 3) it will do nothing to affect pet odor/stain issues.  If you want to get your dirty sisal rug as clean as possible, it will need to be wet cleaned.

These rugs, when manufactured, are not designed to be long lasting (unless of course you rarely use them).  If you use your sisal rug, it will get dirty.

There are a bunch of DIY spot cleaning tips for sisal rugs on the internet but these tips do not address cleaning a rug that is dirty or a rug that has stains and odor.  

The three main reasons these rugs can be challenging to wet clean are:

 

1. Shrinkage - When we clean your rug and you can expect some shrinkage (approx 1% width and 3-3.5% length).  Most of the sisal rugs on the market have a cotton binding which shrinks also. 

2. Most spots and stains are not removable - When something is spilled on your rug, it usually will leave a permanent stain.

3. Dye Loss / Color Change – if you rug is dyed, you might notice some color loss.

 

If you decide to not risk cleaning your sisal rug your options include:

   1. Living with a dirty sisal rug or a sisal rug that has odors.

   2. Replacing your sisal rug.

​

All in all, many of our customers are happy with the cleaning results of their sisal rugs given the above limitations.  As responsible rug cleaners, it is our job to let you know about the risks when wet cleaning your sisal rug.
 

Below is Jeff cleaning a thick 8x10 sisal rug that had major pet odor.  We cleaned the rug and the customer was thrilled!