I often get asked how I care for my own sheepskin rugs. The answer doesn't involve anything complicated; quite simply, I brush them!

Sheepskins love to be brushed. In fact, brushing a sheepskin is not just to detangle, it also serves as a way of keeping it clean. Brushing dislodges any deep dirt, bringing it to the surface of the rug where you can then give it a good sharp shake outside to remove the excess. And of course, it also rakes out the tangles and knots, separating the wool fibres and bringing back the luxurious look of the fleece.

What you will need

You will of course need a good brush, but not all were created equal. I prefer to use a wooden and wire brush to brush my sheepskins. The fine (but strong) wires rake through the dense hair fibres without damaging the fleece and make sure you get good penetration into the thick pile. This is what helps you to restore the texture to its original softness. I also think the wooden handle is a much softer and warmer surface to hold then a plastic handled brush brush!

Thicker bristles miss a lot of fleece and are unable to effectively reach and comb through the base of the rug, so I don't recommend a thick-bristled brush or wide tooth comb for brushing sheepskin.

The best way to brush a sheepskin rug

While brushing a sheepskin rug is not complicated, there is a certain knack to it. Here's what I would recommend.

Start in the centre

Start brushing in the centre of the sheepskin rug, then methodically work your way towards the outside of the pelt. Starting on the edges can make tangles in the centre worse, I find!

Pressure

Use a decent amount of pressure - don't be too afraid to pull out any of the fibres as this will likely only cause you to brush the very top layer while the majority of the fleece remains tangled. When you're brushing a sheepskin rug properly, some fleece will always be raked out...but it would take an awful amount of brushing to make your sheepskin bald!

Consider whether your rug has long or short hair

Long coated rugs may need you to start at the tip of the hair, detangling any knots at the surface before working in deeper to the base. For a short haired rug, however, you can usually start at the base and work your way out.

Turn the rug

Once you have brushed the whole fleece by starting at the centre and working outwards, turn the rug over so that you are facing the skin and the top of the rug is facing down. Now work your brush around the outside fleece overhang, working from the edge of the skin out.

To Finish

Finish by turning your rug back to fleece side up, giving one last all over brush and then a sharp shake to re fluff. Perfect!

Maintaining your sheepskin rug

Sheepskins don’t really take a lot of looking after. They like to be brushed once in a while if they are looking tired or the fleece is becoming impacted or matted, so getting into the habit of doing this every so often will give you many long and happy years with your fleece.

They don’t like the damp; the skin will adsorb it and you may end up with a wet skin that can even turn mouldy, so it's really important that they live somewhere dry, and are dried off effectively when they do get wet.

If you have a dyed sheepskin then its best to make sure they are not in any direct sunlight as they will fade back to the primary pigment (which is often green or purple). For small spills I would always spot wash; use a little tepid soapy water on the spot and then blot with a clean cloth, brushing back out when dry.

And of course the odd hoover on the upholstery setting and a vigorous shake outside will also brighten the fleece back to full fluffy luxury.

You can shop our sheepskin slicker brush and sheepskin wash on our website, or browse our full range of sheepskin rugs. Alternatively, just get in touch if I can help at all, whether it's with advice or you're looking to create your own bespoke sheepskin rug.