How to Clean a Sheepskin Rug
How to Clean a Sheepskin Rug. Sheepskin wool is a soft, resilient natural fiber that keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It is also extremely strong, resisting most snags, tears, wrinkles and pilling. A sheepskin rug requires little care--brushing, shaking out or vacuuming will usually do the trick.
But when your rug needs a deeper cleaning, follow the simple instructions below.
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Remove dust by brushing up the wool pile with a wire brush, shaking out the skin and vacuuming with an attachment.
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Put the rug in your washing machine and use a non-enzyme shampoo made specifically for washable sheepskin items. Pre-soak the rug in the shampoo for 20 minutes if you have stubborn stains or dirt.
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Wash on gentle cycle using lukewarm water that does not exceed 100 degrees F.
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Add a high-quality wool conditioner to the final rinse to soften the leather and condition the wool. Rinse once more and spin dry.
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Lay the rug flat and dry it away from heat. Gently flex and massage the skin side while the rug dries to soften it.
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Brush the dried rug again to restore the wool pile.
Things You Will Need
- Wire brush
- Vacuum with attachments
- Washing machine
- Non-enzyme sheepskin shampoo
- Wool conditioner
Tip
Skin shrinkage of between eight to ten percent is common after washing a sheepskin rug. Sheepskin is dry cleanable with either white spirits or perchlorethylene.
Warning
Do not use laundry detergents on your sheepskin rug. Do not vacuum a sheepskin rug unless you use an attachment.