Learn how to clean sheepskin rug with this quick and easy video guide …
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You can also use these steps to clean sheepskin seat covers, sheepskin boots, men’s sheepskin slippers, various sheepskin coat brands and even a wide variety of fur rugs …
A genuine sheepskin rug should not need to be washed all that often. Our sheepskin rug collection at http://www.atlanticwool.com isn’t only luxurious, but also all-natural, with the fleecy sides carrying lanolin. This substance helps our sheepskin rugs resist dampness as well as dirt …
You can go for relatively long periods without washing your sheepskin if you follow some basic housekeeping principles. This will lead to your sheepskin rugs lasting longer …
A sheepskin rug can be washed occasionally in order to rid them of accumulated dirt. There are usually three options here, namely:
1. They can be handwashed;
2. They can be machine-washed; or
3. They can be dry-cleaned …
To find out which option is applicable to your rug, contact the rug’s manufacturer first. This is because not all rugs will take all these cleaning methods, so it pays to know which one is best before doing anything that could do permanent damage …
Here we describe the two most common methods of washing rugs, which are the hand wash and the machine wash. Most sheepskin rugs actually do best with a hand wash. This is partly because it is easier to monitor what happens to the hide in this cleaning method, and partly because some washing machines cannot take the full weight of a wet sheepskin. However, machinewashing tends to be faster and takes less effort …
Steps to Cleaning Sheepskin Rug
To do a hand wash:
1. Soak the sheepskin rug in a very large basin or a bathtub full of water. Work the water into the rug so that it is fully wet …
2. Apply a sheepskin detergent and follow the instructions on its packaging. Take note that you cannot use another type of soap product here. Most other soaps, detergents and enzymatic cleaning solutions can deal major damage to a sheepskin. You need to find a detergent marked specifically for use in cleaning it, or your rug may begin to disintegrate shortly after its wash. Work the detergent gently into the fibers of the rug by combing into it with your fingers. Try to comb through the entire area of the fleeced part, as this will loosen any dirt that may have worked its way in there …
3. If the detergent requires a rinse, then rinse the sheepskin carefully …
4. Remove the sheepskin from the water, and squeeze it with your hands to get excess moisture out. It will be very heavy, so you may need a clean surface on which to do this. Remember not to wring it, however, as this could damage the sheepskin. Dry the sheepskin by laying it on a flat surface with the fleeced side facing down. You can also hang it using clothespins, but it will require a very sturdy line and should be kept out of the sun. Later, comb the skin gently with a hair comb to get the curly fleece standing up again …
To do a machine wash:
1. Prep the washing machine. Put the sheepskin rug in it and let it run on the gentlest cycle until it gets fully wet. This should take no more than 5 minutes. The idea is to just keep it in there for as long as it needs to, or the fleece may end up getting matted if you keep it in the cycle for too long …
2. Apply the sheepskin detergent and follow the instructions, taking care to note the instructions specifically for machine-washing with it. Take note that some sheepskin detergents are not for machinewashing. You need to find one that outright states that it is …
3. See instructions 2-4 above. Do not use the machine to dry the sheepskin or you may end up causing damage to it. Tumble drying will also cause the rug to mat heavily, so avoid it …
Washing a sheepskin rug is not that difficult, as you can see. However, it does take some patience. Rough treatment of a genuine sheepskin may lead to it being damaged while it is wet, and that can severely shorten the life of your rug. The mere act of drying the sheepskin takes patience too, as it can be so time-consuming …