Genuine sheepskin is easy to keep looking and feeling its best once you know a few rules — but it's also easy to damage with the wrong detergent, water temperature, or a trip through the washing machine. Here's exactly how to wash, spot clean, dry and brush a sheepskin rug or a pair of sheepskin slippers, so they last for years rather than months.
Table of Contents
- Spot Cleaning vs a Full Wash: Which Does Your Sheepskin Need?
- Can You Machine Wash a Sheepskin Rug?
- How to Wash a Sheepskin Rug, Step by Step
- Cleaning a Large Rug That Can't Go in the Machine
- How to Wash Sheepskin Slippers and Boots (Never in the Machine)
- Drying and Brushing: Getting the Fluff Back
- What Products to Use — and What to Avoid
- How Often Should You Clean Sheepskin?
- FAQ: Sheepskin Cleaning and Care
- Conclusion
Spot Cleaning vs a Full Wash: Which Does Your Sheepskin Need?
Most sheepskin doesn't need a full wash nearly as often as you'd think. Genuine sheepskin wool contains natural lanolin, which gives it a self-cleaning quality — daily airing alone keeps it fresh between washes. Reach for a full wash only when there's visible soiling, odour, or a stain that airing and a light brush won't shift; for everything else, spot cleaning is gentler on the leather backing and the faster option.
Key takeaway: the leather (hide) side of sheepskin is the part most easily damaged by incorrect washing — not the wool. Whichever method you use, the two non-negotiables are a mild, enzyme-free detergent with no bleach, and cool-to-lukewarm water only.
Can You Machine Wash a Sheepskin Rug?
Yes, for smaller sheepskin rugs — a single or double pelt — you can machine wash on a gentle cycle in warm water (up to 40°C/104°F), ideally with a sheepskin-specific wash rather than regular laundry detergent. Larger multi-pelt rugs (particularly anything 6–8 pelts or bigger) are heavy when wet and can stretch or strain the stitching in a machine, so these are better hand-washed at home or sent for professional cleaning.
Sheepskin footwear and mittens are the exception — never put slippers, boots or mittens in the washing machine. The suede finish and shape hold up far better with hand washing or spot cleaning, covered below.
How to Wash a Sheepskin Rug, Step by Step
- Choose the right detergent. Use a mild, enzyme-free wash with no bleach — many regular wool washes contain enzymes that damage the leather backing. Our Woolskin Wool Wash / Sheepskin Shampoo is formulated specifically for this.
- Wash in cool or lukewarm water — no higher than 40°C/104°F.
- Machine or hand wash a smaller rug on a gentle cycle, or by hand in a basin, working the wash through the wool gently rather than scrubbing.
- Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear, then spin (if machine washing) or press out excess water by hand — don't wring or twist the hide.
- Stretch gently to shape while the rug is still damp, then hang or lay flat to dry away from direct sunlight and any heat source.
- Brush while damp, and again once dry, to bring the wool pile back to its full, springy appearance.
Wash sheepskin separately from other laundry, since colour can bleed, and never tumble dry or iron it — heat is what most often damages the leather backing.
Cleaning a Large Rug That Can't Go in the Machine
For a large rug that's awkward to wash indoors, spot cleaning or an outdoor wash both work well:
- Spot cleaning: dilute sheepskin shampoo concentrate into a spray bottle at roughly 10ml of shampoo per 200ml of water. Spray the soiled area from about 25cm away without over-wetting it, work the wool gently with a damp sponge or cloth until it foams, then wipe away the foam with a clean, rinsed cloth and towel off the excess moisture before letting it dry fully.
- Outdoor wash: hang the rug over a strong line (or several lines, for a large rug, spaced apart to spread the weight), hose it down thoroughly, work in diluted sheepskin shampoo by hand, then rinse until the water runs clear and leave it to dry on the line, out of direct sun.
For anything larger than about 8 pelts, professional cleaning is worth the cost — the weight of a very large wet rug puts real strain on the hide.
How to Wash Sheepskin Slippers and Boots (Never in the Machine)
The suede finish on twin-faced sheepskin footwear stains more easily than rug wool, so a little prevention goes a long way: treating new slippers and boots with a sheepskin protector and water repellent before their first wear — and again after cleaning — helps everyday marks bead off rather than soak in.
- For light marks, wipe with a clean, damp cloth first — this alone handles most everyday soiling.
- For a proper spot clean, apply a light, even coat of sheepskin shampoo to the area, then wipe gently with a damp, dye-fast cloth until the shampoo and soiling lift off. Pat dry with a dry cloth.
- For a full hand wash, use cool or lukewarm water with a sheepskin-specific shampoo. Wash separately from other items, rinse thoroughly, and press out (don't wring) the excess water with a towel or paper towels — stuff the toe area with dry paper towel if you need to help hold its shape while drying.
- Dry slowly, away from direct sunlight, radiators or other heat sources. Never tumble dry, and never machine wash — the shape and suede finish won't survive either.
Drying and Brushing: Getting the Fluff Back
Sheepskin wool is naturally resilient — if it looks flattened from packaging or a wash, a vigorous shake, followed by brushing while still damp and again once fully dry, restores its natural springy, fluffy appearance. A dedicated tool like our Bowron Care Brush works the pile without dragging on the leather backing the way a standard hairbrush can.
Key takeaway: always dry sheepskin away from direct sunlight and heat, whether that's a heater, radiator, tumble dryer, or a sunny windowsill — heat is the single most common cause of a stiff, cracked, or shrunken hide.
What Products to Use — and What to Avoid
- Use: a sheepskin-specific wash like Woolskin Wool Wash / Sheepskin Shampoo, formulated without the enzymes found in most regular detergents; a sheepskin protector and water repellent applied before first wear and after cleaning; and a proper sheepskin or wool brush such as the Bowron Care Brush.
- Avoid: detergents or wool washes containing enzymes or bleach, hot water above 40°C/104°F, the washing machine for any footwear, and drying in direct sun, near a heater, or in a tumble dryer.
How Often Should You Clean Sheepskin?
There's no fixed schedule — it depends on use. A rug in a low-traffic bedroom might only need a full wash once or twice a year, with occasional airing and brushing in between; slippers worn daily benefit from more frequent spot cleaning and a protector top-up every few months. Let visible soiling, odour, or flattened wool be your guide rather than the calendar, since over-washing is harder on the leather backing than under-washing.
FAQ: Sheepskin Cleaning and Care
Can you put a sheepskin rug in the washing machine?
Smaller single or double-pelt rugs generally can, on a gentle cycle in water no warmer than 40°C/104°F with a sheepskin-safe wash. Larger multi-pelt rugs are better off hand-washed or professionally cleaned, since the weight when wet can strain the stitching.
Can you dry clean a sheepskin rug?
Some sheepskin products are labelled dry-clean only, so always check the care label on what you own first. Where hand or machine washing is suitable, it's usually the better option — dry cleaning solvents can be harsh on the natural lanolin in the wool.
Can you tumble dry a sheepskin rug or slippers?
No — tumble drying (and ironing) should be avoided entirely. The heat can shrink, crack or stiffen the leather backing. Dry flat or on a line, away from direct sun and heat sources instead.
Why has my white sheepskin rug turned yellow?
Natural white sheepskin can yellow slightly with age — this is a normal part of how the fibre ages and unfortunately can't be reversed, though keeping it away from direct sunlight will slow it down.
How do you get the fluffiness back after washing?
Brush the wool while it's still damp and again once it's fully dry. The fibres are naturally springy and will recover their fluffy, curly appearance — a dedicated wool or sheepskin brush works best.
Conclusion
The short version: mild, enzyme-free detergent, water no warmer than 40°C/104°F, never a washing machine for footwear, and always dry away from heat and direct sun. Follow those rules and a genuine sheepskin rug or pair of slippers will keep its softness and shape for years. For care instructions covering every other sheepskin product we sell — gloves, car seat covers, medical and baby sheepskins — see our full sheepskin care guide, or browse sheepskin rugs and sheepskin slippers to shop the genuine article.
