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How to Clean a Sheepskin Rug – Top 10 Tips

Cleaning a Sheepskin Rug

Sheepskin Rugs - Ethically Sourced

You have just bought a beautiful sheepskin rug and you are wondering how to keep it’s beautiful, new and clean fluffy look. Here are 10 top tips for how to clean a sheepskin rug and keep it looking like (or as near to as possible!) the day you bought it. For further information on sheepskin rugs visit "Sheepskin Rugs - The Complete Guide", Click here...

Give it a good shake

One of the best ways to keep your sheepskin rug looking as good as new is to give it a good shake on a regular basis. A good shake will stop any loose dust and dry dirt from getting deep down into the fibres. This helps the dirty particles that are loosely attached, to naturally fall off.

Brush it regularly

The best way to keep your sheepskin rug looking beautifully fluffy is to give it a good brushing, regularly. This will avoid it having the unflattering ‘flattened’ look.

Regular brushing will help separate the wool fibres and keep it looking fresh and downy. It will also prevent it from becoming matted - once matted, you will never be able to untangle it after you wash it.

Avoid direct sunlight

Sheepskin is a natural product, and it does not take well to sunlight, so it is best kept it in a shadier spot. Direct exposure to sunlight can cause your sheepskin to turn yellow over time and cause the leather to harden and crack.

It might take a long time to ‘yellow’, but it will happen eventually, and the yellow colour cannot be washed or bleached out. So, avoid placing your rug in direct sunlight!

Avoid damp places

Sheepskin rugs do not like damp places! If your room or floor has become damp for whatever reason, make sure it is fully dry before you put your sheepskin back on the floor. Damp floors may lead to black mould or cause the wool to become curly.

Stains - Spot clean stains before a complete wash

For small flecks of dirt there is no need to clean the whole rug. If you can, catch the offending speck straight away and wipe off with a damp cloth. You could use a little wool detergent if necessary but keep the water temperature lukewarm. Alternatively, a spot of mud can be left to dry and brushed out later.

Sheepskin Rugs from FelinFach

Our luxury sheepskin rugs are selected for their natural colours, markings in the fleece and their softness to touch. Each sheep fleece is unique and there will be some variations in the colour and in particular, the markings on Jacob sheep fleeces – the famous Jacob dark brown spots will not be in the same place on each sheep! Minor variations in colour and fleece markings are part of the beauty of owning a 100% natural handmade sheepskin product!

Sheepskin rugs single - natural off white

Sheepskin rugs single - natural off white with colour markings

Sheepskin rugs single - Jacob rare breed fleece

Sheepskin rugs - natural off white, double size

General Wear and tear

Whilst there are lots of potential uses for a sheepskin rug in your home, sheepskins that are regularly walked over or sat upon will wear out more quickly that those used just for decorative purposes. To help to maintain that new fluffy look, give your sheepskin a good shake every now and again!

Wash only if necessary

If you look after your sheepskin rug carefully, you may never need to wash it. However, inevitably, accidents do happen! So, if the damage goes beyond spot cleaning and you do need to give it a full wash. A hand wash is preferable or with a machine wash, use a low temperature wool wash programme with lukewarm water.

Drying takes time

If you have had to wash your sheepskin rug, you need to allow the leather to dry slowly. This helps to avoid the leather going hard and stiff. No tumble dryer and no radiators!

Drying Cleaning

Sheepskin rugs can be dry cleaned, but make sure you select a professional company with plenty of experience. Choose a professional dry-cleaning company and check that they have good experience in dry cleaning a sheepskin rug.

Storage

Should you need to store your rug for any length of time, try to keep it somewhere cool and airy. Remember to avoid any damp places that could cause moisture to creep in and cause mould. To look after the leather, keep any folds to a minimum during storage.

Cleaning a sheepskin rug and giving some tender loving care will keep it looking as near to new for a long time and bring warmth and texture to any room in your home.