How can I clean/maintain my sheepskin?
Sheepskins are beautiful natural products that you can enjoy for years to come. They are known for their wonderful softness and their lovely fluffy texture, which makes them a great addition to your home decor. Sheepskins have various uses, and depending on how you use them, you can keep your sheepskin in top condition with just a little maintenance.
In this blog:
- The Secret of Sheepskin
- Regular care for your sheepskin
- Can you beat out the sheepskin?
- Can you vacuum a sheepskin?
- Can you comb or brush a sheepskin?
- How can you remove liquid or dirt from your sheepskin?
- How can you remove solid substances from your sheepskin?
- Use a natural detergent / green soap
- Did the dog or cat relieve itself on the sheepskin?
- Can you wash a sheepskin in the washing machine?
- Can you put a sheepskin in the dryer?
- Give your sheepskin a refresh in the snow
- Can you wash dyed sheepskins?
- What’s the best way to dry sheepskin?
Do you know the secret of sheepskin?
Did you know that sheepskins are naturally dirt-repellent and self-cleaning? As a result, a sheepskin requires little to no maintenance.
Regular care for your sheepskin
If you place a sheepskin in a high-traffic area like the living room, it will be subjected to more wear and tear than if it were in the bedroom. For example, if you have the sheepskin on the floor, it will collect dust and dirt, such as sand, more quickly.
Can you beat out the sheepskin?
To give the sheepskin a quick refresh, you can beat out the fur. After all, the skins can take a beating. Beating out the skin is the easiest, fastest, and simplest way. By beating out the skin thoroughly, you ensure that underlying dirt, such as sand, comes loose.
- When beating out the sheepskin, use a carpet beater or, if you don’t have one at home, your hand. Hang the sheepskin over a rack, pipe, or similar object; this makes beating it out easier. Beating it out by hand is preferred over using a carpet beater.
- You can just as easily fluff out or shake out the sheepskin. To do this, grab the left and right hind legs and give the fur a good shake.
Of course, take the coat outside if you want to pat it out or blow it out. Otherwise you'll have the dirt on your floor.
Can you vacuum a sheepskin?
Another option is to vacuum the sheepskin. This is handy if you don’t have the opportunity to shake out the sheepskin outdoors. When vacuuming the sheepskin, keep the following in mind:
- Put your vacuum cleaner on a low setting.
- Are you using an attachment? Make sure it doesn't rotate.
- Should you only have a vacuum cleaner with a powerful setting, you can also use a handheld vacuum cleaner.
Can you comb or brush a sheepskin?
If you use a sheepskin frequently for sitting, lying down, or walking on, the wool may start to felt after a while. By combing the sheepskin with a special sheepskin comb, you can prevent it from felting, ensuring that the sheepskin remains soft and retains its shape.
Although there are many different types of sheepskins— long hair, short hair, curls, etc.—you can comb them all effectively.
Would you like to prevent the fleece from matting? Then you can also comb the sheepskin as a preventive measure to keep it in top condition.
Are you using sheepskin solely for decorative purposes? In that case, it will not felt, and combing the sheepskin is generally not necessary.
How can you remove liquid or dirt from your sheepskin?
If you spill a liquid (such as a drink), act as quickly as possible. Did you accidentally spill a drink on your sheepskin? Then it’s important to remove the spill from the sheepskin as quickly as possible. For example, if you drop a glass of soda or wine on your sheepskin, it can soak into the wool and leather, making it harder to clean. It’s especially important to act quickly with light-colored sheepskins (e.g., white). You can follow the steps below to remove the liquid.
- Make sure you remove most of the liquid first. To do this, it is best to use some dry kitchen papers, a clean dry cloth or a clean dry sponge.
- To apply the liquid use a dabbing motion. Avoid a sweeping movement as much as possible. This can spread the liquid and press it into the wool/leather.
How can you remove solid substances from your sheepskin?
Did you accidentally spill food on your sheepskin? Depending on the type of food, it’s important to act quickly. If sauce or marinade gets on the sheepskin, it’s best to act fast. Make sure to remove most of the spill. You can use the back of a knife, for example. Then carefully pick off any solid bits.
If you have spilled something from food with sauce (or the like) then you can use the following actions
- First, scrape away the solid bits by going with the direction of the hair.
- Try to gently take off sauce, etc. with, say, the back of your knife.
- Make sure you apply little to no pressure otherwise you will push the splayed hair into the coat.
Use a natural detergent / green soap
If after removing most of the liquid / dirt some remains then you can try to remove the remnants with lukewarm / warm water containing a small amount of natural detergent / green soap.
- Use a clean cloth or sponge to apply the natural cleaning agent to the stain you want to remove.
- You can wipe in multiple directions with policy to remove the stain.
- Has the stain been removed? Then you can just wipe the spot with a clean sponge or cloth.
- Once the stain is gone, dry the area as much as possible with a clean dry cloth.
- Finally, you can comb the hair into shape with a cloud comb.
Did the dog or cat relieve itself on the sheepskin?
Dogs and cats love sheepskins. They’re wonderfully soft and comfortable to lie on. If you have a sheepskin on the floor or couch, it’s naturally possible that your dog or cat will lie on it and accidentally relieve itself. If you catch it right away and it’s just a small puddle, you can follow the steps above for “removing liquid.” If you notice it a little later, there’s a good chance the urine may have (partially) soaked in. In that case, follow the tips under “removing liquid” and “using a natural cleaning product.”
Is the sheepskin still a little damp from cleaning? Then let it dry naturally. Hang the sheepskin over a drying rack where it can air out a bit. Never let the sheepskin dry too quickly by, for example, placing it in the sun, over a heater, or near any other heat source. If the pelt dries too quickly, the leather can become stiff and the wool less soft.
Can you wash a sheepskin in the washing machine?
Would you like to freshen up your sheepskin? Just pop it in the washing machine and you’re done, right? Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to sheepskins. A sheepskin is naturally dirt-repellent and self-cleaning. This is because the fleece naturally contains a substance called wool grease, also known as lanolin. Putting the sheepskin in the washing machine washes this substance out of the fleece, which compromises the quality of the fleece.
In addition, there’s the leather side of the pelt. This can become stiff if it gets too wet. Read more here about washing sheepskins.
Can you put a sheepskin in the dryer?
Unfortunately, a sheepskin cannot be put in the dryer either. The heat will dry out the leather, causing it to become stiff and hard. If the leather is too dry, it may eventually start to crack.
Did the sheepskin get wet? Then let it dry gently on a drying rack, but not in the sun or near a heat source such as a heater or stove.
Read more here about whether or not to wash your sheepskin.
Give your sheepskin a refresh in the snow
Snow is a rare commodity in the Netherlands, but did you know that if there’s a thick layer of snow on the ground, you can put the sheepskin in it for a nice refresh?
Place your sheepskin with the wool side down in a pile of fresh snow. Press the sheepskin down firmly and let it sit for an hour (or longer). Be sure to keep the leather side dry. Is the time up? Then brush the snow off the sheepskin and let it dry gently indoors. Do not place it directly near or on a heat source such as a radiator or stove, etc., as this will cause the pelt to dry too quickly! The snow removes any dirt as well as odors. After this snow treatment, your sheepskin will be nice and fresh again.
Can you wash dyed sheepskins?
Just as with natural furs, we do not recommend washing sheepskins. This is because washing the fur is detrimental to it.
What’s the best way to dry sheepskin?
It’s best to let a sheepskin dry gently at room temperature. For example, hang the sheepskin over a drying rack or a small fence so it can dry gently in the breeze.
It’s important not to let sheepskin dry too quickly. This can cause the leather to become stiff and hard. Once the leather has hardened, unfortunately, it’s no longer possible to restore its suppleness. Avoid drying it on a heater, near a stove, in a dryer, or in the sun.
Did your sheepskin accidentally get too wet, are you unable to clean it, or are you looking for a nice new sheepskin? Then check out our extra-soft collection of sheepskins.