Icelandic sheepskin cleaning Question

[samoyed1958]

Last April I bought some very large Icelandic fur rugs to use as a bed spred cover. Over the course of time, ( laying them on the bed,taking them off the bed at night). they have lost that softness and the fur is ragged. My question is how to get back that soft fur feeling. I thought maybe brushing might work, but do not want to lose to much long fur to the brush. Any help would be great thank you

[AKcoyote]

Brushing will help, but needs to be done carefully. A fine wire pet brush, but not one with a high density of wires per square inch (or cm), will separate the hairs and fluff up the fur somewhat. Shorter strokes and not hooking too deep into the fur works best.

 

Having said that, there is also the possibility the rugs need to be cleaned and glazed to remove embedded dirt. Consult a professional furrier in your area for this service.

[samurman]

I remember a discussion at a forum long time ago about the proper way to wash sheepskin and a specific sheepskin cleaning shampoo from a brand called Eucalan was strongly suggested by several people. http://www.eucalan.com/ This page specifically deals with sheepskin: http://www.eucalan.com/how-to+wash+sheepskin

 

Kiwi Sheepskins from NZ sells a shampoo for sheepskin too, called Woolskin:

http://www.kiwi-sheepskins.com/sheepskin-care.asp

http://www.kiwi-sheepskins.com/sheep-skin-cushions-misc.asp#MC014

 

Another important tip I remember from that discussion is that to keep the original fluffiness of your sheepskin you must brush it (regularly? after washing? that part I don't remember well). Kiwi sheepskins sells a brush in the second link above.

 

Some people wrote in that thread that by properly taking care of sheepskin, one could enjoy sleeping over a sheepskin underlay (or underblanket) every night and use it for many many years...

[AKcoyote]

Be careful

Not all sheepskins are tanned in a way that allows washing. If not tanned by a process that allows washing, the water can cause the leather to dry out and become very stiff and brittle. If properly tanned for washing, there are several gentle soaps, I think including Woollite, that can be used.

 

As Samurman stated, regular brushing, and especially after cleaning, is essential with long haired furs to maintain its fluffiness.

[Tashi]

If I'm not mistaken, Icelandic sheep is a very long-haired (not quite as long as muskox or tahr or certain llamas/alpacas) hollow haired "hair sheep" and the wool is more like a Rocky Mountain goat than a Lincoln, Merino, Shetland or other long soft haired wool sheep. I suggest the Eucalan.

[sheepskin_lover]

I brush my icelandic sheepskins with a wire wool brush and they always come up fluffy like new.  i guess it depends on the quality of tanning as to how firmly the hair is attached to the pelt.  i find they tend to shed less than australian and new zealand sheepskin.

[FurRugLover]

I actually have a quad sized sheepskin rug that was actually used on the floor of a store where visitors have stepped on it in their shoes and boots.  A simple brush with a wire brush is all it takes to make it look new.  It has never been washed before and there is no need to (as long as you don't allow small children to crawl on it).  I wrote about sheepskin rugs in my two previous posts where I mentioned seeing someone Rollerblade right on a sheepskin rug on the floor at a store without any problems!  So they are quite easy to care for.