How to wash sheepskin in a washing machine?

How to wash sheepskin in a washing machine The desire to wash sheepskin in an automatic washing machine arises for a reason. Such things are often bulky, heavy, and accumulate not only dirt and dust, but also dangerous bacteria and even mites. If you do not take care of the product, it will lose its attractiveness and become dangerous to human health. But is it possible to use an automatic washing machine to help or should it be cleaned differently, we will tell you in the article.

Is automatic washing possible?

Whether or not you can load a specific sheepskin envelope into the washing drum will be determined by the information label on the item. On the label, the manufacturer describes in detail all the details of caring for the product. If there is no image with a crossed out basin or a hand dipped into it, machine washing is allowed.

Dyed sheepskin should not be washed in an automatic machine - the pigment will be completely washed out.

When there are no recommendations from the manufacturer, it is better to focus on basic tips for caring for sheepskin.

Make sure that the item fits completely into the drum. If the product is too large, a similar option is chosen, for example, dry, hand cleaning or dry cleaning.
Carefully inspect the item for heavy stains. The machine cannot cope with traces of grease, ketchup, chocolate, wine or stuck chewing gum, so first we carry out local treatment with safe stain removers.
It is good to shake out the sheepskin from crumbs, dust and other debris accumulated in the pile. Ideally, it is better to use a vacuum cleaner.
Choose a suitable detergent. Standard synthetic powder based on aggressive bleaches or chlorine is strictly not used when washing natural wool.Only special gels for delicate or woolen materials. There is no need to pour conditioner into the tray.
Place the item in a special laundry bag (you can use a pillowcase or duvet cover) to protect the washing machines from possible shedding.
Turn on the “Hand Wash”, “Wool” or “Delicate Wash” program.
Check that the temperature is less than 40 degrees and the spin is as low as possible.
Enable the re-rinse option if the item is very dirty.

After washing, the item is carefully removed, straightened and, without additional wrung-out, placed on a flat horizontal surface with the furs facing up. The room should be ventilated, but without direct sunlight on the sheepskin. Ideally, a balcony, loggia or terrace. During drying, the wool is regularly shaken and stretched to prevent shrinkage.

As soon as the fur dries, take a special comb and carefully comb out all the fur. A wire brush or metal brush designed for pets will work for this.

Traditional wash

You won’t be able to wash bulky items in a machine – they simply won’t fit into the drum. But despite this, it is recommended to clean sheepskin at least once a month, otherwise too much dirt will accumulate in the thick, long pile, which is unsightly and dangerous. Hand washing is an excellent option. hand wash sheepskin

We find a container of suitable size for washing: a large basin, a bathtub or a full bathtub.
We collect water at temperatures up to 40 degrees.
Dilute detergent in water. As mentioned above, it is better to find special delicate gels. If this is not possible, add shampoo or liquid soap to the bath.

Instead of using a gentle gel designed specifically for wool, you can use pet shampoo on sheepskin.

Place the sheepskin in water, soak and leave for 30-40 minutes.
Afterwards, we carefully wash the product, not forgetting that it is forbidden to strongly wrinkle, rub or twist the wool.
We change the water several times while rinsing the sheepskin.
Avoiding spinning, we press the item, allowing the water to drain freely from the pile.

Drying after hand washing follows a similar scheme: we place it on a horizontal surface in a ventilated room and do not prevent the item from drying naturally. If there is too much water, then the fur should be blotted several times with a dry terry towel. Don't forget about stretching to prevent deformation of the material.

Let's limit ourselves to cleaning

If the product is too large and cannot be handled manually, then dry cleaning is the only solution. You can take a carpet or sheepskin rug to a professional dry cleaner, but it’s easy to clean the item at home. You just need to remember a few points.

Without much effort and with high quality, you can clean sheepskin in fresh snow. It is enough to spread it with the pile up and cover it with snow. Wait a few minutes and sweep the snow, which will have time to “pick up” all the accumulated dirt from the surface. For a better effect, the procedure is repeated, but with the fur facing down. There is no need to be afraid of sub-zero temperatures – natural fur loves to be “hardened”. For this reason, manufacturers of fur capes and coats recommend “walking” them more often in winter.

At sub-zero temperatures, the dust mites in the sheepskin pile die.

Be sure to vacuum the sheepskin. If cleaning takes place at home, treat particularly contaminated areas with ammonia diluted in water.Mix the ingredients in a 1:1 ratio, wet the sponge and leave on the fur for a few minutes.
Do not dry with a hairdryer, heater or iron - only natural drying is permissible.
To give elasticity and softness, a mixture consisting of egg yolk and a tablespoon of Vaseline is applied to the leather layer of the product.
Yellow stains from sheepskin pile are removed by treating with a solution of 2 tbsp. spoons of peroxide per 2 liters of water.
Dry peeling is possible using raw potatoes. Grind the root vegetable and sprinkle on contaminated areas. Leave for 10-15 minutes and wipe with a clean cloth.
The color of the coat is restored by treating it with crushed walnuts wrapped in a gauze bag.

In order not to worry about whether sheepskin can be washed in a machine or not, it is better to immediately dry clean it or use dry cleaning.

Caring for sheepskin fur is not difficult, the main thing is not to neglect the recommendations from the manufacturer. Regularity is also important - the more often and better the cleaning, the more beautiful and safer the wool will be.