How Coco Mats are Made
Coco Mats are a completely natural product that originates from the coconut. Cocofibers are taken from the outer husk of coconuts, specifically the seed pod of the coconut palm. Ripe coco fibers have a greater amount of lignin, a complex wood compound, and lower amounts of cellulose than fibers such as flax or cotton. This makeup gives coco fibers greater strength (though less flexibility). Additionally, coco fibers are essentially water-proof and thus coco mats dry relatively quickly.
Coconuts are harvested every two months throughout the year. Green coconuts contain pliable, white fibers and are gathered after growing for approximately 12 months on the palm tree. Cocomats make use of the more practical brown fiber, which is extracted from fully mature coconuts when the nutritious layer enveloping the seed is ready for processing.
The brown fibrous layer is separated from the hard shell by splitting (also known as de-husking) the coconut.The coconuts are beaten, to further separate the long coco fibers.
Once separated, the brown fiber is spun into a fine yarn. Additional twisting of the yarn allows these lengthy, strong coco fibers to be set into handlooms for coco mat weaving. This process of spinning is usually still performed by hand.
Finally, the coco fibers can be woven into themselves for use in home door mats or embedded in a vinyl backing for a cut-pile construction often found in commercial-grade coco mats and coco mat rolls. These coco mats can also be used in recessed applications.
Although traditionally left as its natural color, the coco fibers can also be dyed to offer a variety of designs, styles and custom logos for coco mats.
