Wool is great at shedding dirt which means that it is a really low maintenance material and this includes your sheepskin! That said, life is full of little oops moments (as well as pets and children!) so you may find you want to give your sheepskin a little love and this is the perfect guide to help you.
Follow this guide for felted rugs too!
Refresh
To refresh your sheepskin give it a shake outside and air on the line for a few hours on a dry day. If you have a combed sheepskin (ie fluffy not curly) you can use a metal brush to bring out any bits and fluff up your pile. A pet brush is perfect for this and can be picked up in most pet shops/country store inexpensively.
DO NOT - brush your curly sheepskins or you will lose all of its gorgeous curly character. If you are unsure if your sheepskin is suitable for brushing then email us with a picture of your rug and we will be able to advise. A small amount of wool being freed from the skin is normal but please take care, if you brush too vigorously or pull too hard you may pull the fleece away from skin causing irreversible damage.
DO NOT brush felted rugs.
(Picture: Dog grooming brush - we recommend visiting your local independent pet/country store. available widely)
For a deeper clean
1. Wool detergent Only - a normal clothing detergent will clog up the fibres and fabric softeners are likely to make your leather turn to cardboard. A good wool wash will help to refresh the fibre whilst leaving your sheepskin smelling fresh and gorgeous. There are some great options for Wool detergent on the market, they smell amazing and if you choose one that is ‘no rinse’ you will need less water and disturb the fibres less which in turn keeps your fleece fabulous for longer. If you have a super fine fibre sheepskins such as our Merino then do not agitating the wool and do not shock the wool by changing temperature suddenly as this may felt the wool. If you want to rinse with cold water allow the sheepskin to cool down first.
2. Hand Wash Only - We don’t recommend using a washing machine because detergent and softener remnants may damage the fibres and just like our clothes, washing machines will reduce the products longevity if used over time. Instead we recommend soaking your sheepskins in warm water and wool detergent in a large bucket or bath. TIP: add the sheepskin into the water once run to avoid sudden impact from running water. If there are any particularly problematic area where something has been spilt then carefully ease these out by hand in the water.
3. Dry your sheepskin naturally, keeping it flat and away from a direct source of heat. Leather side down. Once the fleece is dry give smooth fleeces a brush (as per instructions under REFRESH. Do not brush curly fleece) and give your sheepskin a good shake to plump it up.
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT... a fresh fleece to enjoy in your home once again!
We hope that you find this guide helpful and continue to get maximum enjoyment from your sheepskin for a very long time!
Jess
Shop Rushlade Sheepskins - Our sheepskins are produced for us in very small numbers, only from our own sheep, in the oldest tannery in the country just a few miles down the road from the farm. Each one has its own character and are totally unique as well as being 100% British Wool of course!!
Please take care in cleaning your sheepskin. If you are unsure then please seek professional services. We cannot take responsibility for any damage caused to your sheepskin during cleaning.
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