How to wash a sheepskin rug

How to wash a sheepskin rug

Please note that this only applies to natural sheepskin rugs and any dyed sheepskin should be taken to a professional dry cleaners and we suggest only using one that has experience with these sort of products. Sheepskin should be handled with the correct care in order to maintain the natural softness.

Natural Sheepskin Washing Process

A natural British Sheepskin rug can be hand or machine washed at 30 celsius or less and even cold water. You must use a very gentle detergent such as Nikwax Wool Wash or similar. You should NEVER use bleach, Woolite or laundry detergents like ‘Persil’ on your sheepskin rug. These are harsh detergents for your sheepskin and will strip off the softness from your wool and also make the leather underside hard. If you put your sheepskin on a machine wash use the gentle cycle. You will need to get rid of any excess water and we suggest using the spin cycle. The next step is to stretch out the sheepskin rug to its original shape while it’s still damp and pliable. This is a VERY important step and can only be done at this time, after all you want the sheepskin rug to be the same shape as it was before the cleaning process.  

Natural Sheepskin Drying Process

Never ever put your British Sheepskin rug in a tumble dryer or iron it. Sheepskin rugs should ONLY be air dried by lying flat or hanging on a line. Never put them in direct sunlight and you must never use artificial heat of any kind as this can and most likely will damage your sheepskin rug.

Restoring the Sheepskin Look and Feel

Once you have washed your British Sheepskin rug the wool might be curly and flat like it is on the sheep. The British Sheepskin Rug was straightened at the tanning process. To restore the sheepskins fluffyness you simply need to brush it out with either a wire brush or comb. We find a dog brush works well. The best method is to brush at three stages of the cleaning process. First when wet, then when damp and finally when dry.

Disclaimer

Due to the delicate nature of Sheepskin and that we cannot supervise the washing process, we in no way guarantee the result. This includes customers who buy a British Sheepskin rug.