Recently I bought a great sheepskin rug. I dreamed to get it and made my purchase wisely. After that, I started wondering, how to maintain my rug properly. So, that it could stay sparkling and brand-new as long as it’s possible. So, how to care for a sheepskin rug?
Sheepskin rugs are easy to maintain. First of all, you have to vacuum them once a week. Then, you should fluffy their pile with a metal brush or a pet brush. If you have a spill, you may wash the rug manually in the bathroom in warm soapy water. Very rarely, the sheepskin rugs can be washed in the washing machine on the delicate cycle. Read further to know the details of sheepskin rugs maintenance.
How Do You Take Care of Sheepskin?
In a few words, the sheepskin rug is made of the skin of a sheep with wool attached to it. The good news is that sheepskin is a sub-product. No animals are killed especially for making rugs from their skins.
High-quality sheepskins come from Australia and New Zealand. The rugs, made from them, can serve for years if they were tanned properly. It is also important to maintain them correctly. By the way, not only rugs but also cushions and bed coverings are made from sheepskin.
To care about sheepskin correctly, you should bear in mind that it is a natural product. So, you can care about it as natural leather or wool. That means you have to:
Vacuum the sheepskin regularly
The debris, food remnants, and dust can damage the fragile sheep’s skin. So, you have to vacuum this rug regularly. As a rule, you have to clean the sheepskin once a week. If some party took place in your house, and lots of people stepped on the sheepskin, I recommend you to clean it an extra time.
Brush the sheepskin
Like any natural wool, sheepskin contains long hair. It doesn’t mean that these rugs can shed too much, but some extra pile appears from time to time. That’s why it is necessary to comb the sheepskin rug once in two weeks or more often if it is necessary. My readers often ask me, how they can fluff up a sheep rug. To do it, just get the metal brush (a pet brush will be ok for that purpose too) and comb the pile. You’ll get the extra hair from the rug quickly, and it’ll look shiny and fluffy again.
Use the two-sided rug tape to fix the sheepskin edges
As usual, the sheepskin rugs are of average size. They lie firmly on the floor and don’t scoot. But if you have noticed, that rug edges are curled, you may use the two-sided rug tape to fix them steadier. Thus, you can be sure, that sheepskin rugs won’t be slippery.
Sheepskin is leather and wool. Both these materials don’t tolerate high moisture levels. That’s why you shouldn’t put this rug in damp rooms.
The wet cleaning of sheepskins is also a complex process, which demands some skills from you.
How Do You Clean a Real Sheepskin Rug?
Very often sheepskin rugs have care tags with detailed information on cleaning and maintaining them. But I want to provide you with general rules, which you can use to care about various sheepskin rugs.
First of all, keep in mind, that you shouldn’t clean the sheepskin very often. The skin of a sheep contains lanolin – the natural wax – which is present on any wool-bearing creature. This wax provides the antibacterial properties of the sheepskin. Every time, when you do the wet cleaning of the sheep rug, you wash the lanolin from its surface. After that, the pile looks more dry and dull. To avoid it, clean the sheepskin rarely. Do it once a year or in case you have a spill.
Here are the tips, on how you can clean the sheepskin if it’s necessary.
I recommend washing the sheepskin rug manually. Although I know, that some sheepskin owners wash these rugs in the washing machine of the delicate cycle, I think, it’s better to do it with your hands. Otherwise, the rug can gain some solid dents, which will be hard to smooth out.
To wash the sheepskin, you’ll need:
1. The carpet shampoo, suitable for the sheep wool
2. Some warm water
3. A bowl/a bath
4. The metal brush
If you have all these means by hand, you can start the washing process.
Step 1: Fill the bowl with warm water
Keep in mind, that you shouldn’t clean the rug in too hot water. That may damage the wool. Use the water of 176°F / 80°C or even less. Pour it into the bowl. If your sheepskin rug is too big and you can’t lay it in the bowl without crumpling it, then wash the sheepskin rug in the bathroom.
Step 2: Brush the sheepskin before washing
Before you soak the rug, made of sheepskin, in the water, brush it carefully. Thus, you’ll get the pile free from dust, crumbs, and dry dirt. Besides, you’ll take away the extra sheep hair.
Step 3: Add the carpet shampoo to the warm water
I advise you to dilute several drops of the carpet shampoo or soap in the water. Don’t take too much soap, as it will be hard to rinse it from the pile. Make sure, the cleaning solution you use is suitable for the sheepskin.
Step 4: Soak the sheepskin in the water
Now it’s time to put the sheepskin into the soapy water. You shouldn’t rub it, and it can damage the wool. If you have some stain on the rug surface, rub it gently with your hand or a piece of a soft cloth. Leave the sheepskin for 20-30 minutes in the bowl. If the water gets dirty, you should change it and put the sheepskin into the water with the carpet shampoo again. You should do it as many times as necessary till the water with the sheepskin in it remains clean.
Step 5: Rinse the sheepskin
After washing the sheepskin with the carpet shampoo, you should rinse the soap remnants properly. Otherwise, the sheepskin will be sticky and lots of dirt will remain on its surface. You may rinse the sheepskin several times till the water in the bowl will be clean without any soap residue.
Step 6: Dry the sheepskin
As you know, sheepskin doesn’t deal well with high moisture levels. That’s why it is necessary to dry the sheepskin away properly. You may hang it on the rope in the sunlight, but just for a couple of hours. Then hang it in the shadowy area. Direct sunlight causes natural wool discoloration, so I don’t recommend hanging the rug in direct sunlight. Besides, you shouldn’t put it in a room, lit with sun rays all day long.
If you notice, that the sheepskin rug remains wet after hanging on the rope for a day or two, you may take it into the room and dry it away with a fan. The sheepskin rug should be dry after cleaning, as mold and mildew may appear on its surface.
If you still have some questions about cleaning the sheepskin rug, you may watch this video.
Benefits of Sheepskin Rugs
I am very happy, that one day I decided to get the sheepskin rug for my bedroom. If you are still hesitating, whether you need it or not, I’ll provide you with the list of sheepskin rugs benefits.
Benefit 1: They are cozy
The sheepskin rug, which you may lay on any kind of floor hardwood, concrete, or tile, adds coziness to any premise. Just imagine this fluffy white or beige rug on the floor in your room. You may also hang it on the wall or put it on the bed.
Benefit 2: They feel soft to touch
I put the sheepskin rug over my regular synthetic carpet in the bedroom. Every morning I feel great when I step from my warm bed on this super soft and fluffy rug.
Benefit 3: It reduces the noise
If you put the sheepskin rug in your kid’s room, it will make their steps super light and silent. The kids often run and jump in their rooms and their little feet make lots of noise. The sheepskin rug will make all those sounds inaudible.
Benefit 4: It keeps the warm ambiance
The sheepskin rugs are heat-saving. The temperature in the room, the floor of which is covered with a thick sheepskin, will be 1-2 degrees higher in winter.
Conclusion
To conclude, sheepskin rugs are a great choice for the space of any style. They add some natural style to the entryway if you hang them on the wall. Besides, they will keep the warm and luxurious ambiance in the bedroom, if you lay them behind the bedside. The sheepskin rugs are beautiful and easy to maintain. To care about them properly, you may use the tops, which I’ve written above. I hope, your sheepskin rug will serve you for years.