When you bring home a beautiful fur rug, it's always nice and fluffy. But with time, and some dust, a beautiful rug can get a little dirty. Read on as KINGCASON gives you some key tips to make cleaning your fur or faux fur rugs a breeze.
The 5 A’s of Caring for Your Sheepskin Rug
Whether your hide is real or faux, below you'll find what you need to learn the 5 A's of caring for a sheepskin rug.
1. Avoid sunlight and moisture
Your sheepskin is natural leather, and if you want your rug to have a long and happy life, try to keep it out of the sun as much as possible. Don't get it wet either. Everyone said they washed the sheepskin in the washing machine and "it turned out great!", but there was another person who had to sadly waste the crispy, crusty skin because of poor care.
2. Adopt the shake-and-flick habit
As part of a regular cleaning, this two-step routine should be effective at removing everyday grime. Take the rug outside and shake it out to shake off the dust and remove any dirt. Give it a good scrub with a wide-toothed metal brush every once in a while. You can buy a special sheepskin brush, or you can buy a similar-looking dog brush at your local pet store.
3. Act fast and spot clean
Accidents happen, so the best thing you can do is be prepared. Make sure you know what to do when the stain strikes and that you have the right materials on hand. If you spill any liquid on the carpet, immediately blot up as much of the stain as possible with a clean, dry cloth. If the stain persists, you can take a new (clean) slightly damp cloth and some sheepskin cleaner to remove the stain, blot lightly, wipe and rub in the direction of the fur.
4. Always dry naturally
Avoid the urge to toss your rug in the dryer or blow-dry on a wet spot on your rug after topical treatment: Direct heat can be just as damaging to a rug as sunlight. Instead, lay the rug flat to dry, away from any heat or sunlight.
5. Absorb Odors With Baking Soda
If you still have any unpleasant smells after each cleaning attempt, sprinkle a little baking soda on the dry carpet. You can handle it gently with your hands before letting it sit for a few hours or overnight.
When you're ready, you can shake or vacuum the rug, but heed the following advice: Never use a floor vacuum with rollers on your rug, as these can damage your rug.
How to Clean and Care for Faux Shearling Rugs
For everyday dirt, you can care for your faux sheepskin the same way you would care for real sheepskin: shake it outside and brush it off with a wide-toothed metal brush.
Otherwise, like any piece of clothing, many faux furs are labeled with washing and care instructions. If you do, please do as they ask! If not, try this three-step routine when it gets soiled or needs a more thorough cleaning.
1. Gently Wash
Hand washing is always the safest bet—you can throw your faux rug in the bathtub with cold water and a bit of detergent and slosh it around. Or if you’d prefer, most faux rugs are fine to go in the washing machine; run a cold and delicate cycle with the least spin or agitation possible.
2. Air Dry
With an absorbent towel, you can press, blot, and roll your wet rug to get as much moisture out of the faux fur as possible, but after that, lay it flat to air dry.
3. Shake and Brush
When your faux sheepskin is totally dry, give it a final shake and comb it out with a sheepskin brush to get it back to its delightfully fluffy state.
