Washing faux sheepskin coats in a washing machine

A winter wardrobe is the most difficult to care for, especially when it comes to a heavy and expensive sheepskin coat. It’s scary to put it in the washing drum, and washing it by hand is too difficult and takes a long time. But is a washing machine so dangerous for a fur coat and how do professionals advise cleaning the product? Let's try to understand all the nuances and possible risks.

Is it permissible to use a machine?

Trying to wash a faux sheepskin coat in a washing machine can end very sadly. First of all, the manufacturer warns about this by indicating on the label a special sign prohibiting machine cleaning. There are two good reasons for this.

• Heavy weight of the sheepskin coat. Tanned sheepskin is very heavy when dry, and when wet its weight increases several times. In this case, machine washing will be dangerous for both equipment and the product. Firstly, a drum loaded above the maximum during acceleration will begin to hit the walls of the tank and break the bearing assembly. Secondly, the fur coat itself will become tangled under its own weight, fall out and tear.
• Capricious material. Sheepskin products, like fur and leather, are washed rarely and only in a delicate way. Unpredictable automatic cleaning with prolonged soaking and squeezing is destructive for them - the inner core will harden, crack and become deformed. High temperatures will also have a bad effect on sheepskin coats: in water above 30 degrees it will fade, tear and fall apart. Especially if the fur coat is of poor quality.

It is not recommended to wash sheepskin coats in a washing machine - only dry or wet cleaning is recommended.

Much depends on the quality of the sheepskin coat.Probably, a solid and high-quality product will be able to survive the cycle, but the consequences will not be long in coming. It’s better not to risk expensive sheepskin and a washing machine, but to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Then the item will last longer and continue to delight with its warmth and softness.

With a sheepskin coat, it is better to forego full washing, opting for regular cleaning and careful wearing. All stains must be removed immediately using a dry or wet method. The main thing is to act according to certain rules.

Cleaning without water

It is safer and easier to clean a sheepskin coat dry. In this case, you don’t need to put in a lot of effort, and the risks of damage are minimal. But here too there are rules and nuances. So, the front part and the back part are cleaned differently, and the remedy will be salt, semolina, a brush or a vacuum cleaner.

• Semolina. Effective in removing fresh stains. It is enough to pour the cereal onto the contaminated area and wait until it absorbs the dirt from the fibers. Afterwards, shake off the darkened grains and add a new portion, repeating the procedure until the mark disappears from the skin.

It is better to clean sheepskin coats dry using a rubber brush or vacuum cleaner.

• Salt. Table salt also perfectly absorbs dirt, but if rubbed into the material too hard, it can damage the fibers and leave behind unpleasant stains. You need to be careful with it: use it quickly, apply it gently and not partly.
• Brush. The ideal option is special bristles made of bamboo or rubber, made specifically for cleaning tanned sheepskin. The stains are rubbed off with it, and the debris remaining on the scraper is thrown away.
• Vacuum cleaner. A special nozzle will remove dust and dried dirt from the product.

The back, fur part is cleaned differently. There is no particular contamination here, so it is enough to vacuum and comb the fur. A good comb will return fluffiness to the pile and remove pellets with bedsores.

Cleanse with light moisturizing

Dry cleaning has a significant drawback - it is not enough to remove strong and old stains. In this case, you cannot do without water and detergent. The procedure will be riskier, but with the right approach and following the instructions, the likelihood of damaging the sheepskin coat is very low.

To remove stains from sheepskin, you will need detergents: either professional foams and sprays, or homemade solutions prepared with your own hands. In the first case, you must carefully read the instructions before use, in the second, strictly follow the proportions.

Gasoline, kerosene, ammonia and a mixture of milk and soda are excellent for removing old stains from sheepskin coats.

But you don’t have to spend money on special products, since you can clean a sheepskin coat using folk remedies. So, kerosene, ammonia and milk with soda have proven themselves to be excellent.

1. Gasoline or kerosene. Despite the specific smell, these liquids effectively and safely remove even old and greasy stains. The main thing is to pre-steam the affected area, and then moisten the swab and collect the dirt in a circular motion. This treatment is only suitable for cleaning dark sheepskin coats; light-colored items will be damaged by gasoline.
2. Ammonia. Mix alcohol with water in a ratio of 1:4, moisten a cloth in the resulting solution and treat the contaminated area with circular movements.
3. Soda and milk. A mixture of milk and soda is effective in removing stains.Add a tablespoon of powder to a glass of liquid, then mix, dip the sponge and, moving from the edges to the center, wipe off the dirt.

It is recommended that after cleansing, apply diluted vinegar to the skin at the rate of one tablespoon per 500 ml. Thus, the material will be restored, strengthened and shiny.

Advice from professionals

In order for a sheepskin coat to serve for a long time and delight you with its warmth and beauty, it is necessary to properly care for it. Experiments will not help, it is better to adopt the experience of others and rely on the advice of professionals. It is especially important to remember the following nuances:

• It is strictly not recommended to wash natural sheepskin coats in a machine;
• Artificial suede products can be loaded into the washing machine if you compare the weight of the wet sheepskin coat and the capacity of the equipment;
• select the most delicate mode - “Manual”, “Wool”, “Silk”;
• It is prohibited to add soap or regular powder to the washing machine - the granules will not dissolve and will damage the material;
• the water temperature during cleaning should not exceed 30 degrees;
• spin must be reduced to 300 rpm;

The sheepskin coat is dried naturally in a vertical position away from heating devices and direct sunlight.

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