What and how can you quickly clean sheepskin at home?

Sheepskin is traditionally used not only as a material for sewing shoes and outerwear, but also for decorating a room. You need to familiarize yourself with how to wash sheepskin and carry out high-quality cleaning before purchasing a beautiful and functional item.

The material actively collects and absorbs dirt; in the absence of regular care, the original product will quickly turn into a foul-smelling rug. Luckily, sheepskin can be washed by hand or by machine. This allows not only to restore the appearance of the item, but also to eliminate pathogenic bacteria, which often settle in the fur layer.

Basic requirements for caring for sheepskin

The decorative product can always remain fresh, even when used as a floor covering. To achieve this result, a sheepskin rug needs the following care:

1. Every day the product must be shaken out on the balcony or staircase. This will get rid of surface contamination and prevent the formation of dust deposits.
2. Twice a week, and if necessary even more often, you need to go over the material with a dry vacuum cleaner.
3. To properly clean sheepskin, you need to process not only the fur part of the product, but also its base, as well as the floor under the rug.
4. It is recommended to thoroughly clean sheepskin at least once a week.The available manipulations are not complicated and do not take much time. The product must be washed at least once a month.

In addition, from time to time you will have to use techniques that will help restore the elasticity of the lining layer, the softness of the pile and eliminate the unpleasant specific aroma that after some time begins to emanate from organic matter.

Rules for manual processing of sheep skin

To get the most pronounced and lasting positive result, the sheep skin will have to be cleaned by hand. The basic manipulation looks like this:

1. As a detergent, it is best to use a product designed for natural wool or carpets made from it.
2. We take warm water into a basin or bathtub, dilute the composition in it and soak the product for half an hour.
3. Gently wash the sheepskin by hand, without paying special attention to individual stains. They can be removed with the help of targeted local influence.
4. Then we rinse the rug, but not in cold, but in warm water; strong temperature changes will negatively affect the quality of the material.
5. Place the clean product on a horizontal surface with the fur side up, blot it with a terry towel and dry it naturally.
6. During the drying process, the skin must be regularly shaken and slightly stretched, otherwise it may become deformed.

More serious problems on the surface of the fur can be dealt with in one of the following ways:

• We clean pronounced stains with a sponge soaked in a mixture of cold water and ammonia. We take products in equal quantities.

Tip: If the product seems dull, its color can be restored with the help of walnuts.Lightly crush the kernels of the product, wrap them in a gauze napkin and rub the pile with it until shine appears and the color returns to its brightness.

• Potato peelings will help restore cleanliness not only to the fur, but also to the leather layer. We wash these components in plenty of water, squeeze and grind in a blender or meat grinder. Spread the resulting slurry over the contaminated area and clean it with a brush. Then remove the mixture and wipe the area with dry wipes.
• Hydrogen peroxide will remove yellowness on white sheepskin. We dilute two tablespoons of 3% peroxide in a liter of water and treat the surface layer of fur with the resulting composition. It is prohibited to rub liquid into the lower layers of the mat!
• To restore the softness of the fur, you need to mix two glasses of warm water, chicken yolk and a tablespoon of Vaseline until smooth. With the resulting composition we treat not the fur, but the leather part of the product and remove any remaining product.
• The elasticity of the leather layer is restored after treating it with water mixed with glycerin.

After carrying out the above manipulations, the skin must be dried, combed and only then used further. It is not recommended to speed up the drying process using a radiator or hair dryer.

How to properly wash sheepskin in a washing machine?

The most affordable and easiest option for restoring sheepskin at home is to wash the product in a machine. However, this processing option can only be used if the product is suitable in size.

Features of cleaning sheepskin in a washing machine:

1. Detergents are only liquid, preferably intended specifically for wool. Conditioners, bleaches and drug enhancers are not used.
2. The mode can be set to manual, delicate or profile.
3. The water temperature should not be higher than 40ºС.
4. Spin is acceptable, but not more than 600 rpm.
5. An extra rinse cycle is welcome.

After automatic processing, the product is dried in the traditional way and combed with a wire fur brush.

Only if you follow all the listed rules can you count on the long-lasting and trouble-free service of a warm, natural rug. Felling or thinning of fur, the appearance of holes in the leather backing and an unpleasant odor from a household item indicate a violation of the rules for caring for the product.