A genuine sheepskin rug can be a beautiful accessory to your home and interior decorating style. Many families who have invested in sheepskin rugs find that these luxurious rugs get handed down as family heirlooms. If you make the investment you are going to want to take the proper care of your rug or if you decide to get one from somewhere like Sheepskins NZ. Unless you live in a monastery where no one ever visits, and no children roam about, you will eventually deal with cleaning your sheepskin rug. Although most people are not aware of it, this chore can easily be done at home with a few simple tools. However, if you don’t want to leave it up to yourself in case of further damage that can’t be reversed, have a look into a professional cleaning service such as this area rug cleaning service in Chicago, IL or others and see what they’re able to do for you.
Assemble Your Tools
Before you get started make sure to assemble the proper tools. To properly clean your sheepskin rug, you will need:
- Detergent specially formulated for sheepskin- a quick Amazon search will reveal several products created just for this chore.
- Microfiber cleaning towel- these can usually be found in the automotive section of any large retail store.
- Carding brush- this is a specially designed brush which separates the fibers of natural animal hair.
- Slow warming heat source- a fireplace or a radiant heater can do the trick.
Spot Cleaning
Spot cleaning can be easily accomplished with a small amount of wool/sheepskin detergent, water, a microfiber towel and a carding brush. Simply follow the cleaning directions on your rug’s tag, along with the instructions on the detergent. Clean gently following the grain of the fur until the spot is gone. Comb gently with the carding brush and then hang to dry in front of heat source.
Full Immersion Cleaning
You should be aware that full immersion cleaning can result in shrinkage. The shrinkage can be minimal so proceed with caution if you are uncomfortable with this side effect. If you do decide to immerse your rug, do so in a tub filled with cool water and sheepskin/wool detergent. Use your microfiber towel to gently clean any visible spots and to agitate the fibers of the entire rug.
Rinse off the detergent with cool water. It is not advisable to ring out the rug. This can affect the hide. Gently squeeze the water out by hand. This may take a while, but resist the urge to ring it out aggressively to speed up the process.
You will then need to hang your rug in front of a heat source for slow drying. Be sure to lay down towels to catch the dripping water. Comb/brush through the rug while it is still damp to make sure fibers are not matting together.
Day to Day Care
Before we get into the details of cleaning your sheepskin rug, it is important to note that there are a lot of things you can do every day to increase the beauty and longevity of your purchase. Obviously, any item that is overused will show it. If your sheepskin rug is placed in a high traffic location or in an area prone to accidents, you will soon find that it’s beautiful appearance will fade quickly. Consider how you wish to use your rug. If you wish for your rug to remain as a lovely decorative accessory, display it in an area where it will not be subjected to much abuse.
It is also important to note that sheepskin rugs do not appreciate too much direct sunlight. The sunlight can cause the fibers to dry out and lose their coloring. Damp conditions are also not ideal. Sheepskin rugs will develop black mold if exposed to long standing moisture.
Washing a sheepskin rug should be done very seldom. For everyday cleaning, the rug can be shaken outside and brushed gently with carding brush. More about the carding brush in a moment.
If you follow the care instructions of your sheepskin rug you can look forward to years of enjoyment from this super soft material.