Editing Sisal (section)

==Uses==
[[File:LDS Church in Farmington (33578464874).jpg|thumb|Sisal wall covering (the gray below the wooden cornice) in a [[Latter-day Saints]] meetinghouse. Due to its common use in meetinghouses, it has become a [[meme]] in [[Culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormon culture]].]]
[[File:Sisal mat.jpg|thumb|Weaving a door mat in [[Uganda]]]]
Traditionally, sisal has been the leading material for agricultural twine (binder twine and [[baler twine]]) because of its strength, durability, ability to stretch, affinity for certain dyestuffs, and resistance to deterioration in saltwater.<ref name=world>{{cite web|url= http://www.sisal.ws/ |title= World of Sisal |access-date=2010-07-12}}</ref> The importance of this traditional use is diminishing with competition from polypropylene and the development of other haymaking techniques, while new higher-valued sisal products have been developed.<ref name=wigglesworth>{{cite web|url= http://www.wigglesworthfibres.com/products/sisal/sisalplant.html |title=The Sisal plant |access-date=2010-07-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204050007/http://www.wigglesworthfibres.com/products/sisal/sisalplant.html|archive-date=4 February 2010}}</ref>

Apart from ropes, twines, and general cordage, sisal is used in low-cost and specialty paper, dartboards, buffing cloth, filters, [[geotextiles]], mattresses, carpets, handicrafts, wire rope cores, and [[macramé]].<ref name=wigglesworth/> Sisal has been used as an environmentally friendly strengthening agent to replace asbestos and fiberglass in composite materials in various uses, including the automobile industry.<ref name=wigglesworth/> The lower-grade fiber is processed by the paper industry because of its high content of cellulose and hemicelluloses. The medium-grade fiber is used in the cordage industry for making ropes and baler and binder twine. Ropes and twines are widely employed for marine, agricultural, and general industrial use. The higher-grade fiber after treatment is converted into yarns and used by the carpet industry.<ref name=world/>

Other products developed from sisal fiber include spa products, cat-scratching posts, lumbar support belts, rugs, slippers, cloths, and disc buffers. Sisal wall covering meets the abrasion and tearing resistance standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials and of the National Fire Protection Association.<ref name=advanced>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060923182456/http://www.advancedbuildings.org/main_t_finishes_sisal_wall.htm Sisal Floor and Wall Coverings] - URL retrieved June 25, 2006</ref>

Sisal walls were used very frequently in the construction of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormon]] meetinghouses built between 1985 and 2010. Because of its frequent use, it has become a meme in [[Mormon culture]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Aleah |date=2019-04-01 |title=Church to Replace All "Scratchy" Meetinghouse Wall Coverings |url=https://www.ldsdaily.com/entertainment/church-to-replace-all-scratchy-meetinghouse-wall-coverings/ |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=LDS Daily |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ashmae |date=2016-05-27 |title=#TexturesofMormonism |url=https://bycommonconsent.com/2016/05/26/texturesofmormonism/ |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog |language=en}}</ref>

As extraction of fiber uses only a small percentage of the plant, some attempts to improve economic viability have focused on using the waste material for production of [[biogas]], for stockfeed, or the extraction of pharmaceutical materials.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Sisal is a valuable forage for honeybees because of its long flowering period. It is particularly attractive to them during pollen shortage. The honey produced, however, is dark and has a strong and unpleasant flavor.<ref>Fichtl & Adi 1994, Hepburn & Radloff 1998</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=October 2021}}

Because sisal is an agave, it can be fermented and distilled to make [[mezcal]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/dining/22mezcal.html|title=Hoping Mezcal Can Turn the Worm|author=Dan Saltzstein|date=April 21, 2009|work=The New York Times}}</ref> In India, it may be an ingredient in some [[street food|street snack]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/indian-street-snack-root|title=The Mysterious Street Snack That Has Baffled Botanists for Decades|author=Barkha Kumari|date=August 5, 2021|work=Atlas Obscura}}</ref>

===Carpets===
Despite the yarn durability for which sisal is known, slight matting of sisal carpeting may occur in high-traffic areas.<ref name=wigglesworth/> Sisal carpet does not build up static nor does it trap dust, so vacuuming is the only maintenance required. High-spill areas should be treated with a fiber sealer and for spot removal, a dry-cleaning powder is recommended. Depending on climatic conditions, sisal absorbs air humidity or releases it, causing expansion or contraction. Sisal is not recommended for areas that receive wet spills or rain or snow.<ref name=wigglesworth/> Sisal is used by itself in carpets or in blends with wool and acrylic for a softer hand.<ref>{{cite book|author= Kadolph, Sara J and Ann L Langford |year=2002 |title= Textiles |edition=Ninth |location= New Jersey |publisher= Pearson Education, Inc |isbn=0-13-025443-6}}</ref>