Has your sheepskin started to smell? If so, we’ve got a few tips on how you can get it fresh once more!
Sheepskin is a natural material. This is a winning factor when it comes to things like temperature control, as it keeps you warm in the winter but cool in the summer thanks to the porous material. But that porous material also means it is vulnerable to easily absorbing smells from around the house. If your sheepskin is in a kitchen, it might have acquired the scent of your culinary masterpieces (along with picking up a couple of stains from spills); if it’s been stored in a garage or conservatory over the cooler months, it may have a whiff of damp around it.
The best way to stop your sheepskin is early prevention! If you spill anything on your rug, make sure to dab the spillage off it as quickly as possible. Also be sure to give it a good shake every once in a while.
The best first step to getting rid of any funny smells around your sheepskin rug is an easy one. Simply give your sheepskin rug a good shake outdoors – this will remove any bits of debris that may be lingering among the fur. Then hang it up on the line to give it a good airing out. Make sure to keep it out of direct sunshine for too long as this can damage the integrity of the sheepskin. This is a good habit to be in every so often to make sure your sheepskin doesn’t have the opportunity to pick up smells.
Hopefully this first step will have stopped most of the smells in their tracks, but the next step will work wonders if not. And it’s a bit of an unexpected kitchen hack! First use a sheepskin brush (or a pet slicker brush if you don’t have one) to give the sheep’s wool a good brush. If you come across any accidental spills on the rug that you hadn’t noticed, these could be a cause of remaining smells. Use a damp sponge or cloth to gently rub these off the sheepskin as best you can, but be careful not to stretch the fibres. Now dig through those kitchen cupboards for your kitchen hack: bicarbonate of soda! Sprinkle this over the rug then leave to sit for a while. Hoover up again with gentle suction and give it another good shake. You’ll be amazed that this one actually works!
If your sheepskin is being a little more stubborn or is heavily soiled, you can give it a wash in the washing machine, but this is a step to be a little wary of! Use the delicate or wool cycle on the coolest temperature possible. Do not use any detergent aside from a specialist wool detergent if you have some, and only a small amount is needed.
As before, hang it to dry outside on the line away from direct sunlight or in a well-ventilated area. Once dry, give it a gentle brush. Not only will it look as good as new, it will smell as good as new too!