![Everything you need to know about coir [+ Coco & Coir doormat review]](https://earthlytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/pexels-daniel-dan-7543123.jpg)
Earthly TasteToday I am here to talk about the wonderful eco-friendly material named coir! Used in many different and extremely useful ways, coir is a natural and sustainable material that is rapidly finding its way into many homes and gardens worldwide.
How to pronounce coir
Pssst. So you don’t have to look up how it’s pronounced, it’s “coy-er.” You’re welcome.
What exactly is coir?
A bi-product of the coconut growing industry, Coir is made from 100% coconut husks. It is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut.
Red coir
Amongst other things, red coir is used in doormats, floor tiles and brushes.
Brown coir
You’ll find mattresses made from matted brown coir, packaging and insulation. Brown coir is also used for erosion control in river banks and hillsides.
White coir
Ropes and fishing nets are the main products made from white coir due to the strong resistance to saltwater.
Common uses for coir
Compost
Coir helps improve growing conditions. How? Its texture provides the perfect balance of aeration, drainage and water retention. Not only that, coir compost encourages beneficial soil microbes and is pH and nutritionally balanced.
Doormats
As a by-product of the coconut industry, this fibre is very durable; perfect for a doormat for a high-traffic area in your home.
Mattresses
Brown coir is needle felted to create matting that is used for mattresses.
Rope
Mats of woven coir fibre are made from the finer grades of bristle and white fibre using hand or mechanical looms.
Brushes
Coir is commonly used to produce anti-microbial and decay-resistant cleaning brushes. You can also use coir brushes for cleaning and scrubbing vegetables.
Why is coir a good material to use?
Coir is an amazing material because it’s 100% organic, naturally biodegradable, and sustainable.
Coco & Coir leading the way
We recently received these beautiful doormats made from sustainable coir from a brand called Coco & Coir.
“Inspired by whale fins and dolphin tails, the repeated pattern stamped on this natural coir doormat is unique, eye-catching and trendy yet spiffy, streamlined and sophisticated. Thick, durable and decked out with the decorative tail fin print, this rectangular welcome mat will look ravishing sitting at your doorstep or stoop.”
Coco & Coir on their doormat design
We love the monochrome design of the doormat. Fitting perfectly in our very high traffic hallway, both eye-catching and useful.
Their heavy-duty doormats, are 100% natural, and also include an anti-slip backing that keeps the mat in its place even when walked along, which many mats don’t have! Alongside this, the mats are sturdy, long-lasting, and ideal for both indoor and outdoor use, including, patios, greenhouses, porches, and conservatories – the perfect barrier to help remove dirt entering your home!
Why is coir the perfect material for doormats?
Coir is very durable as well as being perfectly scratchy to scrub the dirt off shoes and boots. If your coir doormat is 100% coir and not PVC backed, it holds up very well to being outside. The lack of PVC backing means the rainwater drains through the mat quicker. Coir mats are easy to clean, but under no circumstances should they be machine washed. To clean easily, hold the mat up, then beat it whilst it’s dry. The coconut fibres will release the dirt quickly.
I’m always intrigued to find out about eco-friendly brands. Here’s what Coco & Coir have to say about their sustainable brand goal:
“With your help, we are marching towards a world filled with products made from sustainable material. Our line of creatively crafted home décor and props, are sure to lend your home a more earthly vibe. Together, we will create a more environmentally conscious world, one coir door mat at a time. Coco & Coir is, in a nutshell, a brand advocating flowering beauty in a cleaner, more sustainable way. Unlike coconuts, why we do our bit to make the world greener, is not hard to crack.”
Coco & Coir on their mission
Not just famed for their coco coir doormats, Coco & Coir produce 100% natural coco compost that boasts all sorts of amazing benefits, such as:
- 100% natural
- Multi-purpose
- Balance controlled release fertiliser
- Feeds for up to 6 months
- Gives healthy foliage
- Strong root development
- Fantastic flower and root development
- Less packaging
- Plastic free packaging
- Sold in blocks; hydrate to wake!
Sold in over 200 garden centres across the UK, this is the greener way to garden.