I am often asked the question 'will the sheepskin smell?' when a new customer is considering purchasing their first sheepskin rug. In this article, I have tried to address some of the questions about the organic product, what it should smell like and what to do if you find yourself sensitive to its natural odour.

Do real sheepskin rugs smell?

A well tanned, new and natural sheepskin should have a slight odour. This should not be an unpleasant odour, but will be one of a mixture between leather and wool.

If your sheepskin smells of perfume or strongly unnatural, it's an indication of an inorganic tanning process that has possibly used harsh chemicals.

What do sheepskins smell of?

A natural, well tanned sheepskin should smell of...well, sheepskin!

And how would I describe that? It's a mixture of leather and wool is the best way I've found to put it. Some people find that they can smell it more strongly than others, and some people don’t smell it at all - it's something I've found is really personal to each individual person's sense of smell. A newly tanned sheepskin should have that natural, earthy scent, not overwhelmingly so but certainly detectable if you are looking (or smelling) for it.

If it smells bad (and by bad, I mean a smell of rotten eggs) it is an indication that something has gone wrong in the tanning process. In this case, the sheepskin should be returned to the supplier.

Why do sheepskins smell?

Sheepskins have a scent comparable to wool and leather (if it has been organically tanned) simply because these are the two basic components of a sheep’s skin. There's nothing more to it really - the smell is a natural one!

It is by nature highly absorbent, so if your new skin smells of anything else, than you may have a problem:

• The smell of rotten eggs indicates that there has been a problem with the tanning process and your sheepskin should be returned to the supplier.

• If it smells of perfume than its an indication of a high chemical tanning process and you may need to think of contra indications if it is to be used for babies, as a pet bed or as a medical sheepskin.

• If it smells of mould or damp then it may have been stored inadequately by the supplier, so once again it should be returned.

How long will a sheepskin smell for?

Occasionally I am asked about how long a sheepskin might smell for, but this question is a little bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string?’ situation. A sheepskin is an organic individual product so there are no hard and fast rules here, except that the scent will certainly fade with time. How quickly this happens depends on the skin itself, the way it is stored and used, and the conditions that it resides in.

How to prevent sheepskin rugs from smelling

While you can't prevent your new rug from smelling, you can encourage the odour to dissipate by hanging it outside on a dry and breezy day. Be sure that the air is dry with no moisture though, as the sheep's skin is highly absorbant, and if hung out in damp conditions it will itself become damp. If you are sensitive to the new smell then consider placing the skin in a well ventilated room, away from a direct heat source until the smell naturally fades.

How to remove the odour from a sheepskin rug

Personally I love the smell of a new sheepskin, but if you find that you are sensitive to it, then some have had success with sprinkling baking soda on the skin and leaving it for a short length of time before vacuuming and then shaking it out, so it may be worth giving this a try.

I would never use an air freshener or stronger chemicals on a skin, as that would defeat the whole objective of the organic tanning process and be contra indicative in the sheepskin’s use. Similarly, washing sheepskin also always comes with a risk as nature never intended a sheep's skin to be washed on the inside and out, so I would only wash a skin if unhygienic soiling has taken place. I would suggest that the trick above is a better option if you are considering one of these!

If you're looking to add a natural sheepskin rug to your home, our range is high quality, carefully sourced and beautifully tanned. You can browse our full range of sheepskin rugs on our website, or get in touch if we can help with a bespoke piece.