Sheepskin coats provide warmth and style, making them a classic wardrobe staple. However, things can get a little complicated when it comes to maintaining them clean. Sheepskin, in contrast to other outerwear materials, needs specific maintenance to keep its appearance and feel.
Thankfully, you don’t always need to have a professional cleaner clean your coat. You can maintain its excellent appearance and clean it at home with the appropriate method. We’ll walk you through the process of cleaning your sheepskin coat safely and effectively in this post, ensuring that it remains in excellent condition throughout the winter.
Cleaning methods
There are two primary ways to clean a sheepskin coat at home: wet and dry. They are applied while keeping in mind the kind of dirt, coating, and material quality. Therefore, wet cleaning can be arranged for leather and items with a laser coating, but only dry cleaning is advised for suede.
Collar, cuffs, and trim fur parts need to be cleaned carefully separately.
Dry cleaning: tools and means
A suede sheepskin coat is first cleaned using dry techniques. Suede is the thin skin of small animals that has been tanned by fat tanning. Its pile becomes soft and velvety as a result. Artificial suede substitutes are frequently used when sewing sheepskin coats.
The pile on suede eventually gets greasy, caked, and rubs off in spots, losing its original sheen and velvetiness and necessitating cleaning of the sheepskin coat.
The easiest way to thoroughly clean a sheepskin coat at home is to use a vacuum cleaner with a soft attachment (furniture brush) to remove dust, and a special brush made specifically for suede products to remove dirt and stains. Many of these brushes have rubber (caoutchouc) teeth on one side that restores the pile’s beauty and evenness, and hard bristles on the other that effectively comb out dry and sticky dirt.
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Suede and nubuck items such as shoes, purses, and coats are cleaned with double-sided brushes.
The brush’s narrow, ribbed sides work well for cleaning welts, trim elements, and other difficult-to-reach areas. Rather than using a "magic" brush, you can use a clean dish sponge, an old toothbrush, an ordinary clothes brush, or a stationery eraser to clean the sheepskin coat.
The following are appropriate makeshift methods for cleaning a sheepskin coat at home for natural materials:
- table salt. Helps remove small stains and return velvetiness to suede. Sprinkle it on dirty areas, laying the sheepskin coat on a flat surface. Gently, without pressing, rub with your hand or a brush in the direction of the pile. Shake off the remains with a dry sponge;
- tooth powder. Effectively removes greasiness on the collar, pockets, cuffs. For leather products, it is also recommended to use it in a mixture with ammonia. Tooth powder moistened with an ammonia alcohol solution (ammonia) helps clean a sheepskin coat and refresh the appearance of the leather. First, the mixture is applied to problematic, most contaminated areas and carefully cleaned with a hard brush, then the rest of the surface is treated, wiping it with the same composition using a sponge;
- starch, semolina cereal, grounds from brewed coffee. White powder adsorbents work well on light-colored items, while coffee, black bread, or dry mustard are considered more suitable for dark items. First, sprinkle the powder on the areas of the main contamination, rub the stains with a sponge or a cloth glove put on your hand from the edges to the center, and the greasy pile – against its main direction in order to lift and clean the caked pile well. Then sprinkle the powder over the rest of the surface and clean the entire product with a brush with hard bristles in the direction of the pile;
- refined gasoline. It is used to remove individual greasy stains, applying with a damp sponge or burlap rag. Stains are cleaned with collecting movements from the edges to the center.
If you are cleaning a light-colored suede or nubuck sheepskin coat, avoid using gasoline. Since all solvents have the potential to alter a material’s original color and harm its structure, it is important to perform a preliminary test on a discrete portion of the product from the back to confirm that the chosen product is safe.
Both dried bread crusts and rubber erasers are very effective cleaners.
Watch the video below for an illustration of how to use an eraser to clean a sheepskin coat:
Greasy dirt and stains can be removed with an eraser and a slice of bread. The trouble spots need to be gently but firmly rubbed (to avoid deforming the material). Using a soft brush, remove any remaining bread crumbs by combing the pile in its direction. Take black bread for dark items and white bread for light ones.
Nubuk is a fine-pile leather that is polished and chrome-tanned during the cattle hide dressing process.
It is advised to use fine-grained sandpaper for additional front surface polishing following dry cleaning of nubuck products.
Wet cleaning: home remedies
Washing with a lot of water is not advised, especially for sheepskin coats. This will cause natural materials (leather, suede, and nubuck) to deform and lose their elasticity and softness, rendering them completely useless. Synthetic analog products will "shrink" in size and turn stiff and dull. Consequently, it is advised to only use wet methods when it is absolutely necessary to remove substantial or concentrated dirt from a sheepskin coat.
Wet cleaning should not be done excessively, even though leather and certain coatings with water-repellent impregnations tolerate moisture well.
Make sure to dry clean a natural sheepskin coat with a stiff brush or vacuum cleaner to get rid of all the dust and dried dirt from outerwear before using wet cleaning products on it at home.
Among the most popular wet cleaning supplies are:
- ammonia with glycerin. To remove large stains, the mixture is prepared in a 1:1 ratio. Cleaning is carried out with movements from the edges to the center. The result can only be assessed after the item has completely dried, and the treatment may have to be repeated;
- ammonia with soap. Solution: add 5 ml of ammonia and 10 ml of soap (washing gel, liquid soap, shampoo) to 200 ml of warm water. Wipe heavily soiled areas with a sponge soaked in the solution. After soap cleaning, it is recommended to treat the item completely with the following solution: 200 ml of water for 1 hour. l. ammonia and glycerin, 2-3 g of drilling;
- ammonia with hydrogen peroxide use to clean a light sheepskin coat. In a glass of warm water (200 ml) add 1 hour. l. ammonia and peroxide. Cleaning is carried out using a soft sponge moistened in the solution;
- Milk with soda. Also for cleaning light things soda (1 h. l.) well dissolved in heat degree milk (200 ml). Wet a cotton pad with the resulting solution and gently rub the stains and the most contaminated areas with it. It is important that the disk does not smear dirt, replace it with a clean one in time. After milk cleaning, wipe all parts of the sheepskin coat with a soft, well-wrung out cloth soaked in a weak solution of table or natural vinegar (1 tbsp. l. per 1 liter of water).
It is advised to completely dry the sheepskin coat after wet cleaning and use a dry sponge to wipe the treated areas.
Sufficient ventilation and room temperature are sufficient for adequate drying. Moreover, take action if the sheepskin coat gets wet from snow or rain.
It is recommended to dry outerwear away from heating sources and in direct sunlight.
With the correct method, cleaning a sheepskin coat at home can be easy and efficient. You can remove dirt and stains from delicate material with care by using mild soap, warm water, and a soft brush. Don’t use strong cleaning solutions. To preserve the coat’s texture and quality, it’s crucial to refrain from soaking it and to let it air dry naturally. Most of the time, professional cleaning is not necessary for a sheepskin coat because regular care and spot cleaning can keep it looking new longer.
Cleaning products made of artificial materials
The best soap solution is for cleaning an artificial sheepskin coat at home. Clothes are hung from the shoulders or spread out horizontally. Make a gentle washing solution (shampoo or liquid soap) by mixing 500 milliliters of warm water with two to three tablespoons of gel. Wipe the entire surface with a soft sponge dipped in a solution, being sure to concentrate on any dirty areas. In order to prevent the water from seeingping into the fabric, you must move swiftly. After processing, use a fresh, damp cloth to wipe off any soap residue, then allow the product to dry fully at room temperature.
The video below shows an illustration of this type of cleaning:
It is advised to thoroughly rinse the fake sheepskin coat in water if soap stains are still present on the fabric. After that, it is left to drain on hangers without being wrung out and blotted with dry rags.
While artificial materials resemble natural materials in appearance, they are not as good as they are in other respects.
General recommendations
The rules of constant care for suede and leather goods are closely related to questions about how to clean a sheepskin coat at home. The following advice will help you maintain your outerwear in good shape:
- For suede items, purchase a set of care products for them – cleaning foams, color-restoring sprays, water-repellent impregnations in aerosols.
- If stains appear on the sheepskin coat, try to remove them immediately, preventing absorption and drying on the material.
- Restore the fluffiness of the suede pile using water vapor – hang the sheepskin coat in the bathroom for several hours when using hot water. Then dry thoroughly in the air.
- Do not keep sheepskin coats made of artificial materials in the fresh air for more than 2-3 hours. Otherwise, the material may become rough and stiff.
Oily products aid in giving the sheepskin coat’s leather sections a nice sheen and softness again: Vaseline, glycerin, castor and camphor oil, and a customized leather cream
It is best to hang a sheepskin coat in its buttoned state on wide hangers for cleaning and wearing. There should be adequate room in the closet for long-term outerwear storage so that nothing else presses against it. Sheepskin coats should ideally have breathable fabric covers on them. Clothes moths are repelled by adding dry lavender or other aromatic herbs to them.
| Cleaning Method | Steps |
| Brushing | Use a soft-bristled brush to remove dirt and dust, brushing in the direction of the wool fibers. |
| Spot Cleaning | Dab a damp cloth with a mild detergent on stains, gently rub, then wipe with a clean damp cloth. |
| Drying | Let the coat air dry naturally, away from direct sunlight or heat sources to prevent damage. |
| Deodorizing | Sprinkle baking soda on the coat, let it sit for a few hours, then brush it off. |
Although cleaning a sheepskin coat at home can appear difficult, it is doable with the appropriate method. You can keep your coat looking new without causing damage to the material by using gentle methods and avoiding harsh chemicals.
To make sure a cleaning solution won’t damage or discolor the sheepskin, always test it on a small, discrete area first. Frequent upkeep, such as brushing and letting your coat air out, will help keep it looking its best and help extend its life.
You can enjoy your sheepskin coat for many seasons to come by adhering to these easy steps, which will keep it clean, soft, and in excellent condition.
