How do you wash your sheepskin?

[Cheshire Chestnut]

I got a gorgeous fully lined sheepskin/lambs wool numnah as a birthday present to myself and I've just washed it for the first time and I'm sweating! It says strictly hand wash only, I wouldn't be able to machine wash it even if it was allowed... We have a new washer and I think the OH would divorce me if I washed both horse AND sheep in it!

Anyway, I handwashed it and it was a mission, the bleddy thing soaked up all the water in the sink and I felt like a Victorian maid massaging it in the sink to get the marks out. Not to mention spinning it around in the garden to get the water out (thus splatting next-door's French windows in the process).

It's now on the line in the sun looking like it will never dry in a million years.

Any pearls of wisdom would be appreciated

 

[Baileybones]

I slather it in hair conditioner and pop it in the washing machine on the wool cycle. No detergent. Then over the banister to dry.

 

[Redders]

I have washed mine but actually have found that a good dandy brush with a little water on cloth bits and dog grooming brush on wool bits works really well. I do it quite often so it never gets bad and it takes 5mins.

 

[Tobiano]

I regularly wash my sheepskin girth sleeve in the washing machine. I think it is making it slightly more fragile but I've had it ages and probably washed it 20 times now.

 

[NikNak1]

I am another who has washed girth sleeve and half pad in the washing machine on normal 30 degree setting and normal detergent with no problems! I have also covered in human conditioner which does make it come out lovely and soft and almost like new!

 

[Cheshire Chestnut]

Thank you for the tips - I shall be definitely trying the conditioner tip next time as it's looking a bit like a wet old sheep now and not all fluffy and new as before Arghh!

 

[criso]

I have various half pads and girths and wash them in the washing machine on a special wool wash cycle with either Woolite or a special sheepskin detergent. They come up lovely and fluffy.

I would use conditioner or fabric conditioner and one horse is prone to allergies and I prefer not to have anything left on. I set an extra rinse on everything horsey I wash for the same reason.

 

[The_Dappled_One.]

My old nuumed has clearly been thrown into a wash without care- result was a rather matted and rough fluff!
I refluffed it with a wire dog brush and did the conditioner trick and it's good as new, so if yours is looking a bit flat you could try that

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

Hand washing is for mugs. We've sent man to the moon (allegedly), we can transplant one persons limb to another. We have cars that can move from 0 to 100mph in under 4 seconds. We have Netflix fgs!!! Life is too short for hand washing, whether it's a sheepskin numnah or an YSL cashmere sweater. If sheepskin cannot be boiled wash with my undies then I ain't interested.

 

[lainy]

I bought a secondhand one which came to me dirty and matted with dried on sweat/grease! i rubbed hair conditioner on and left it for an hour or so, then into a wool wash. Came out lovely and clean. i dried it away from direct heat . I think a wool wash is a better job than rubbing away at it yourself! just do it when your other half is away

 

[jnb]

Never ever leave it in direct sunlight to dry - it will go hard and rub the horse!
Wash at 30 degrees with Woolite / Nuuwash after rubbing in cheapo hair conditioner to the fleece.
Remove from washing machine and brush with a wire dog brush which fluffs thew fleece back up and stops it going hard/into dreadlocks. then lie flat indoors and let it dry naturally.
I have one sheepskin numnah which is now 6 years old and looks good as new.

 

[w1bbler]

Stick in washing machine with woolite, reduce the spin speed if your machine allows. Do not dry in direct sunlight or radiator / tumble dryer, slowly at room temp.
To keep oh happy, buy a horseware wash bag & stick the numnah in that first, comes out clean & all the hair is inside the bag, not your machine.
Can wash all your grooming brushes in the bag too - just add an old towel or similar to stop too much bashing inside the drum.