To me, seagrass is an exceptional material, far superior to sisal and yes, there is a big difference between the two. Seagrass is made from sea grass of course " mostly found in China where the majority of the rugs originate. Since it is grown in water, the product is basically non-absorbent and is a strong, sturdy fiber. The absorbency aspect is very important: seagrass is not easily stained. If something is spilled on it " coffee or coke " it can easily be cleaned with a damp towel - and it will eventually dry without leaving a spot or watermark. Sisal on the other hand is made from the agave plant. Spill something on light colored sisal and you might as well throw it out. If you try to get a coffee or coke spill out with a damp towel, you will get a lasting watermark stain. The only way to prevent the watermark on sisal is to wet the entire rug " not a viable solution. I found the better material at http://www.perfectlyhomerugs.com/servlet/Categories?keyword=seagrass Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.perfectlyhomerugs.com This post was edited by Chennapawankumar on Wed, Dec 17, 14 at 10:18

Bumping- hoping for more responses! :) I have a seagrass rug in the kitchen, but I have those mats that go underneath for standing. It's like a black soft foam. So, it doesn't go anywhere either. Hoping someone has some experience. Thanks! Kim

Air. Lots of air. Hang it where air can get at both sides if you can, or prop it up so that air can get underneath. There's no way to know if it'll stain because of the unknowns of what was in the water. Even if there isn't soap, there could be any number of invisible elements and chemicals it could have picked up along the way. If it's manageable, you could try rinsing the whole run well. That way there's an equal amount of wetting, and maybe rinse out whatever strays might color it, but it's not sure, and that much water could weaken the fibers. It's something you'll have to judge. If you're going to hang it, it'll help to support the bottom, and to put the least amount of weight as possible on the wet area. For a hall rug, that probably means hanging it sideways. If you have a gun style blow dryer, you can try that, working from both sides, but not so that any of the heat reaches the grass. The air is good, and you can warm it so that it's a little warmer than room temp, but actual heat can also weaken the fibers. Be patient. If there's a cloth backing, get that as dry as you can as fast as you can, and keep going back to it. It makes airing even more important. The last thing you want is to get mildew. Even when the surfaces seem dry, there will be damp between the grass and the backing, so it's really important to keep airing it, and blowing on it off and on, until it's dry all the way through. If all of the above sounds like more than you can handle, and if there isn't a cloth backing, you can try just putting a pile of towels under the wet area and changing them out as they get wet. And you can try the non-heating dryer from above.

I only have experience with jute and sisal: Sisal runner I bought in 2004 and still have (on tile, two houses). Has held up wonderfully, even with cats thinking it’s there for their claw sharpening exercises. Very minimal shedding. I clean under it like I would any other rug. I love it, plan to have it forever. Chunky jute runner I bought for my dad’s house (over two yrs ago). Sheds terribly. He’s moving this year and isn’t going to put it in the new place. It looks great, but is too dirty. Both rugs above are comfortable to me barefoot, and I’m someone with very sensitive feet. And they’d hold up great to chairs. They have a smooth feel, but with light bumpiness ... actually feels good to me (like a smooth pebble shower floor). Ours aren’t scratchy at all. These are just my own experiences — I have friends who have jute and love it. It’s possible my dad’s being so sheddy is just an anomaly. Or how it’s made/different manufacturers, I don’t know. But for a bigger area rug, and wanting a smoother feel, I’d definitely go with sisal over jute. I’d love to know about sea grass, too, hope someone shares if they have it. I love natural fiber rugs so much! They’re so versatile and good-looking.