How To Clean Coir Matting 11 July 2014

These days, coir matting is seen in just about every home. The matting is produced from the husks of coconut shells and it is extremely durable and hard-wearing. This makes it ideal for areas of high traffic within a home, or more normally it is placed by doors to absorb the impact of wet, muddy feet coming in. For this exact purpose it is used extensively in farms and any home where there is livestock. Thanks also to this durability, the matting is easy to clean, which is good because due to the fibres it is easy for dust and dirt to become trapped through everyday use, which in turn can make your coir carpet look dirty . The big difference though is that a cleaning powder must be used, rather than a liquid, in order to prevent shrinkage. With this in mind, cleaning coir matting should be a breeze! The first thing to do, before you start your cleaning process, is to evaluate whether or not the carpet really needs cleaning. Coir matting can be left for much, much longer than ordinary carpeting – partly because of the fibrous nature of it and partly because it simply draws in dirt without showing it much more than regular carpet. Once you have established that your carpet does require cleaning, it’s time to gather your tools. For cleaning a coir mat specifically you will need: a vacuum cleaner, a dry powder carpet cleaning product, cornstarch and baking soda. And that’s it! It doesn’t take much to get those carpets looking as good as new. In preparation you should vacuum the carpet thoroughly. This is because there will be large amounts of hidden dirt, dust and grit that have fallen into the fibres. You may not be able to see them, but they will be there. So vacuum over the main area several times and then use the attachments that come with your vacuum cleaner to clean thoroughly around the edges of the mat. Try to ensure that every tiny piece of dirt is removed, as this will help aid the effectiveness of the cleaning powder. Once that is done then take your cleaning product powder and sprinkle it with sheer abandon across the mat! Don’t be shy, sprinkle well – the scent alone will make it worth your while. However for those who prefer non-commercial products, you can create a mixture of cornstarch and baking soda powder which will work equally as well. It depends on your personal preferences and whether you happen to have those ingredients handy in the cupboard. If you choose to make your own then as an alternative fragrance you can add herbals leaves to the powder which will give it a certain smell. Whichever way you choose to go, just make sure that you cover the entire area completely. This way, you will avoid having to do it twice.The next thing to do is to ensure that you leave the powder on the coir matting for at least 30 minutes. This may seem like an extraordinarily long time for a powder, but don’t forget – the longer it is down, the easier it will absorb smells and any liquid and the better job it will ultimately do. So do your flooring a favour – give it time. Once that has happened then you can guess the rest. You’ve laid down a powder, it’s done its job and now what happens? That’s right, you need to get rid of it. So take your vacuum cleaner and use it to remove every last trace of powder that you possibly can. Bear in mind while you’re doing this that the powder has taken everything bad out of your coir carpet – and left nothing but good.  So it is well worth your time to vacuum well. Imagine that fresh scent greeting you from your doorway every time you open the door. This should be enough to guarantee that you do a good job. Once you have absorbed the above, do take care to make sure that you repeat the steps as necessary every six months at least. This way, you will be getting on top of any nasty surprises or smells before they have time to fester.