Ian Report post Posted April 24, 2009 I have a few sheepskins I use as throws on chairs in the livingroom. When I got them (especially the black ones) they were silky and glossy. Now they have a dull, matted look. I was thinking of washing them in Woolite and brushing them out afterwards, but I don't want them to stiffen up of get matted. Any suggestions? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorsehairBraider Report post Posted April 24, 2009 (edited) Well, I can tell you how to wash the wool... as for the leather, it depends how it was tanned. some types of tanning don't do well if you get them wet, other types you can just chuck in to the washing machine! (But don't do that with your hides!) Don't use Woolite - it is no longer formulated for wool, but for synthetic blends. I generally use Dawn dishwashing liquid. You can also use Ivory Flakes. Fill a container with warm/hot water, add the soap. Stir it in gently with your hand. You do not want suds. Lay the hide in the water hair down, press it down so it all gets wet, and walk away. Let it soak for half an hour. Come back, lift it out of the water and gently press the water out. *DO NOT* agitate it, or scrub back and forth etc. Just lift it out gently, and press the water out. Fill the container with clean water the same temp you started with and lay the hide back in. Let it soak for 15 minutes. Occasionally, you will need an extra rinse. When it is rinsed to your satisfaction, press out as much water as you can. I sometimes throw a couple of towels on the floor, lay the hide on those, put some more towels over the top and walk on it. This presses out quite a lot of water. And why do I say "no agitation"? Maybe you've seen a felt hat, or a felt blanket. The way you make felt is to get wool wet and soapy and then agitate it! You don't want felt, so don't scrub, agitate, wring or otherwise treat that wool other than gently while it is wet. After pressing the water out, lay your hide somewhere it can dry. I sometimes hang them over a fence, if it's a small one and not too sopping wet, I'll lay it on a tile floor overnight. To get the hair better, after it dries, go to a pet store and get a dog brush - the kind they call a "slicker", they have a whole bunch of thin wire pieces coming out that are bent at an angle. If you are familiar with wool cards, you'd recognize that as "carding cloth". Using the "slicker" go through brushing the hair. Your sheepskin will look a whole lot better after this! Edited April 24, 2009 by HorsehairBraider Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Report post Posted April 24, 2009 Thanks a lot - I was getting ready to throw them in the washer. Sure glad I didn't now. Thanks again Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Denise Report post Posted April 24, 2009 I have heard Dawn dishwashing soap recommended in particular for a number of different things. Anyone know what is different in Dawn than other dishwashing soaps? Why is it the recommendation? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorsehairBraider Report post Posted April 24, 2009 I have heard Dawn dishwashing soap recommended in particular for a number of different things. Anyone know what is different in Dawn than other dishwashing soaps? Why is it the recommendation? Can't tell you about other uses, except for wool. There is a really expensive preparation made especially for washing wool... but the name is escaping me right now, when I remember I'll put it in. (Unless some other, smarter, person beats me to it.) Anyway, a chemist, who liked using Dawn, did a small study on the other stuff and found it was pretty much chemically the same as Dawn - just not with any colors or scenting in it. So I started to use it, and found it works just as well as that other stuff and at about 1/10 the cost. Ah- Just remembered! Synthrapol. That's the expensive stuff. So, I tried it very cautiously at first, and was extremely happy with the results. I also use Dawn to wash horsehair before braiding. Now I wished I owned stock in it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anne Luck Report post Posted February 12, 2015 I use The Washsafe™, which i bought online from The Wool Company UK. http://www.thewoolcompany.co.uk/ .You don't even need to add any detergent, but if you want to get all the benefits from using one of our detergents, this also works very well. Natural Sheepskin Throws and Rugs are very easy to care for and when washed they can look like new again Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
