How To Wash a Sheepskin Rug
Nothing adds warmth, luxury, and comfort to a room quite like a sheepskin rug. Whether placed by your bedside, draped across a lounge chair, or adding softness to your nursery, these rugs bring a timeless elegance and cosy appeal to any space. However, keeping your sheepskin rug looking like new isn’t hard to maintain and only requires a few simple steps.
If you have spent hours googling how to care for your sheepskin rug and are still unsure, we have the answers for you below.
At Yellow Earth, we live and breathe Australian sheepskin, and have written this short and simple guide on how to care for your sheepskin rug at home.
Shake it out and Air it
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Regularly shaking out your sheepskin rug helps loosen dirt and dust trapped within the fibres. Air your rug in a shaded outdoor area or well-ventilated indoor space will help refresh the fibres, reduce odours, and prevent moisture buildup.
Expert tips:
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Shake your sheepskin rug weekly to maintain fluffiness.
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UV in Australia is really strong, so it is best to avoid prolonged direct sunlight, as this may fade the colour and dry out the fibres.
Give it a Gentle Brush
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Brushing your sheepskin rug regularly maintains its softness and restores its natural fluff by loosening up the wool fibres. Using our specialised Wool Brush, gently brush your rug in one direction, following the natural flow of the wool fibres.
How to brush your sheepskin rug:
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Brush gently and smoothly—don’t brush too aggressively, or you might damage the fibres. Use a similar pressure to what you would when brushing your own hair.
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Brushing your rug regularly stops the fibres from getting tangled or flattened, keeping them nice, fluffy and loose.
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Try giving it a brush every couple of weeks; it’ll keep your rug feeling soft and looking fresh.
Spot Clean
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Accidents do happen, but small stains or spills can usually be fixed up. By spot cleaning your rug as soon as possible, you can prevent permanent stains. Simply use a clean, damp cloth to gently blot the affected area—there’s no need to soak the entire rug.
Quick spot-cleaning steps:
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Blot gently, never rub or scrub.
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Avoid using harsh chemicals; mild detergent or plain water usually works best.
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Allow the area to dry naturally after cleaning.
Handwash in Cold Water
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For deeper cleaning, handwashing is your best approach. Using our specially formulated Sheepskin Wool Shampoo which is made in Australia, ensures the wool fibres remain soft and the natural lanolin is preserved.
Steps for handwashing:
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Step 1 – Prepare water and shampoo
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Step 2 – Submerge and gently agitate
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Step 3 – Thoroughly rinse
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Step 4 – Squeeze out excess water (never wring)
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Step 5 - Stretch the sheepskin rug back to shape
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Step 6 - Allow to flat dry on top of a clothes rack away from direct sunlight.
Machine Washing Your Sheepskin Rug
While handwashing is always the gentlest option, some of our sheepskin rugs — especially our medical-grade sheepskins — are designed to be machine washable. That said, we recommend keeping machine washing to a minimum unless absolutely necessary, as excessive washing can reduce the natural softness over time.
Machine washing tips:
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Use a cold wool cycle on the lowest spin speed available.
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Limit the wash time to a minimum (around 5 minutes is ideal)—not the entire full cycle.
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Always choose a mild, wool-safe detergent, such as our Sheepskin Woolwash Shampoo.
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Avoid tumble drying and never use hot water or bleach-based products.