Sheepskin Cleaning Guide

The great news about wool is that it’s naturally dirt repellent. The unique structure of wool means it resists soiling and releases dirt easily. It is important, however, to take care of your sheepskin products to preserve the individual character of each piece. Your sheepskin rugs will retain their good looks and last longer if you follow the recommended care routine:

• Avoid direct sunlight to avoid UV damage
• Shake often
• Dry vacuum regularly
• Promptly attend to spills and stains
• Never rub, brush or massage the carpet when it is damp or wet
• Sheepskin is not suitable for bathrooms or outdoors, as the constant moisture could damage the leather backing.

    It’s recommended to dry vacuum regularly. At least once a week, and more often in heavy traffic areas. This will remove free soil particles and surface litter, and it prevents soil from becoming embedded in the wool, causing accelerated wear by grinding at the base of the fibers. It’s recommended to use a plain suction-type vacuum cleaner. Turbo or revolving brush head attachments may reduce surface hairs or create frizzing. Beater bar and adjustable revolving brushes should only be used on the lightest settings. More often than not, soiling occurs as the result of particles of dirt being walked into the rug from outside. Prevention is always better than cure. Door mats at entryways create a great barrier to soiling.

    Frequent and moderate cleaning is preferable to harsh treatment likely to be required if cleaning is done infrequently.

    Promptly attend to spills and stains. Any accidental spills and stains need to be dealt with immediately to avoid permanent damage. Before using any stain treatment, make sure you have 'contained the stain' to stop it from spreading any further. Blot up liquids straight away using a paper towel or clean cloth. In the event of any large area spills, it is recommended to put a clean towel down and stand on it to absorb a much liquid as possible. Scoop up solids immediately using a knife or spoon. Try not to push the substance further into the wool. We’ll discuss specific stains and how to deal with them later in this guide.

    Never rub wet wool. Ever! This will damage the wool and can spread the stain further. Drown the wool in water or any other liquid, but do not rub it.

    Staining occurs from the chemical bonding of a pigment with the wool fiber. Once this bonding has taken place, removal can be extremely difficult without causing some damage to the wool. This is why promptly attending to spills and stains is so critical.

    With liquid stains, we'd recommend the use of a wet stain remover, but again, before any stain treatment, you must firmly blot up the stain first before applying. If you don't have any of the wet stain remover handy, then the next best thing would be to dilute the area with lukewarm (not hot) water and re-blot thoroughly using a clean, dry towel or paper towel, ensuring you do not rub the stain. You can continue to gently apply water and re-blot. The wool will not be damaged by water as long as you don't over-wet the wool, as this may cause water marks on the surface and may damage the leather backing.

    Most oily or greasy stains can be removed, even after a period of time. However, certain stains may have a chemical reaction with the fiber and can cause irreversible damage.

    There are a number of cleaning treatments that can be used, depending on the type of stain. Here is the recommended cleanup procedure for each specific stain:

    Beer & Spirits: Option 1) Use a Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) use one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Bleach: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) seek assistance from a professional cleaner

    Blood: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Butter: Option 1) Stain Remover for Dry Stains, or option 2) One teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Candle wax: Option 1) Place absorbent paper (such as a brown grocery bag) over wax and apply hot iron to paper. Wax will melt and be absorbed by paper. Or, option 2) Stain Remover for Dry Stains

    Chewing gum: Option 1) chill with ice cubes in a plastic bag, and then pick or scrape off solids, or option 2) Stain Remover for Dry Stains

    Chocolate: Option 1) Stain Remover for Dry Stains, or option 2) Stain Remover for Wet Stains

    Coffee: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar with 2/3 cup of water

    Cola & soft drinks: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Cooking oil: Option 1) Stain Remover for Dry Stains, or option 2) one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Cream: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) stain Remover for Dry Stains

    Egg: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) seek assistance from a professional cleaner

    Feces: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, option 2) clear household disinfectant, or option 3) seek assistance from a professional cleaner

    Floor wax: Option 1) Stain Remover for Dry Stains, or option 2) Stain Remover for Wet Stains

    Fruit juice: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Furniture polish: Option 1) Stain Remover for Dry Stains, or option 2) Stain Remover for Wet Stains

    Gravy & sauces: Stain Remover for Wet Stains

    Ballpoint Ink: Option 1) Surgical alcohol, or option 2) Stain Remover for Wet Stains

    Felt Tip Ink: Option 1) Stain Remover for Dry Stains, or option 2) Stain Remover for Wet Stains

    Lipstick: Option 1) Stain Remover for Dry Stains, or option 2) one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Milk: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) Stain Remover for Dry Stains

    Mud (when dry): Option 1) Vacuum clean, or option 2) Stain Remover for Dry Stains

    Mustard: Stain remover for wet stains

    Nail polish: Option 1) Nail polish remover without lanolin, or option 2) Stain Remover for Dry Stains

    Oil & grease: Option 1) Stain Remover for Dry Stains, or option 2) one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Paint (oil based): Stain Remover for Dry Stains

    Paint (acrylic): Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Rust: Option 1) Mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar with 2/3 cup of water, or option 2) seek assistance from a professional cleaner

    Salad dressing: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) Stain Remover for Dry Stains

    Shoe polish: Option 1) Stain Remover for Dry Stains, or option 2) one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Soot: Option 1) Vacuum clean, or option 2) Stain Remover for Dry Stains

    Tar: Option 1) Mineral turpentine, or option 2) Stain Remover for Dry Stains

    Tea: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar with 2/3 cup of water

    Tomato sauce: Option 1) nail polish remover without lanolin, or option 2) one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water

    Urine (fresh): Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, option 2) one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar in one liter of warm water, or option 3) clear household disinfectant

    Urine (old stain): Seek assistance from a professional cleaner

    Vomit: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, option 2) clear household disinfectant, or option 3) mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar with 2/3 cup of water

    Wine: Option 1) Stain Remover for Wet Stains, or option 2) mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar with 2/3 cup of water

    It’s tempting when you’re in a panic to throw water or other liquids directly onto a stain, but that will only spread the stain further and can damage the sheepskin backing.

    When treating red wine stains, the extent to which this happens is entirely dependent on the type of red wine and can vary markedly. Again, the most important thing is to firmly blot up as much of the red wine as you can before applying a wet stain remover, and then to continue to reapply and re-blot the area until no further color comes off onto the towel or cloth you are using. As the sheepskin dries, the stain should lift further. Thankfully, red wine is the one stain where a wet stain remover product can be used to some effect, even after the stain has dried off. If you still notice some discoloration after the stain has dried, try a repeat application to pull more of the stain out of your sheepskin.

    Dry Stain Remover is designed to work on most food, drink, oil and grease-based stains and is suitable for sheepskin rugs. It’s effective on almost any dry stain that has not caused a chemical reaction with the wool fibers. A dry stain remover is designed to be lightly applied as a spray and the resulting powder vacuumed up.

    In common with all textiles, your sheepskin rug can be damaged from direct exposure to UV. Dark colors are the most vulnerable, but no rug is immune. To prevent UV damage & fading, areas exposed to direct sunlight should be avoided.

    Place furniture cups under the legs of heavy furniture and regularly shift the furniture a few inches one way or another to give the wool a chance to recover. To revive flattened wool, you can use a warm steam iron over a towel laid on top of the rug. Hold the steam iron gently to the towel and use the steam button to inject steam. Do not press the iron down on the towel as this could leave gloss marks on the rug underneath.

    As with any type of floor covering, your sheepskin rug will need regular care to stay looking its best. To retain its good looks follow the steps we’ve discussed here, and enjoy your sheepskin for years to come.