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Remember how luxurious it felt the very first time you walked barefoot on your super-soft sheepskin rug? Or the decadence of engulfing your feet in your new sheepskin boots? Every time you touch or put on your sheepskin and wool products should feel like that first time. Cared for with a gentle touch, your rugs, slippers and woolens will give you a lifetime of pleasure.
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Lovingly made in New Zealand’s pure environment, we want to help you get the most from your items. Here’s our guide to caring for them…
Easy dirt removal
One of the many qualities of a sheepskin rug is the richness of its warm creamy white and super-soft feel. To ensure the rug is as appealing in your home, it’s essential to remove any dirt. Fortunately, this process is quick and easy due to the natural properties of our NZ sheepskin. The lanolin in the fleece gives you a helping hand by repelling any dirt, lifting it to the surface and making it easy to remove. We recommend either shaking or vacuuming your rug.
Goodbye to stains
After investing in a sheepskin garment or rug, it’s inevitable that you will want to wear and use them as much as you can. It’s also just as likely that you’ll get the odd stain or spill. We love environmentally and eco-friendly products, as do our sheepskins and wools. In their purest and rawest natural form, we recommend avoiding the use of any strong chemicals to clean your rug. Instead, treat your item delicately by dampening the area with lukewarm (not hot) water and dabbing detergent in a circular motion. If necessary, you can hand or machine wash Ecowool’s sheepskin rugs, using cold or lukewarm water. We recommend using gentle motion and a mild, non-alkaline, enzyme and bleach free wool detergent (such as Ecostore Wool Wash) for spot, hand and machine washes.
When it comes to our possum merino garments, the natural properties of the combined wools mean you will not need to wash your garment as often as you would other knitwear. Not only does possum fur keep you warm, but it naturally prohibits the absorption of any odours and also has natural antiseptic properties that help it to remain fresh. If, however, you do need to wash your possum merino item, use just a little amount of gentle wool detergent lathering delicately with lukewarm water. Always lay out your washed garment flat, so that it can dry without changing shape due to pull or pegging.
Your slippers will also benefit from gentle care. If they do become marked, you can sponge the area with a cloth using a suede spray. Allow the slippers to air dry and brush (see below).
Brush up
Whenever you notice that your rug has lost its height and cloudy, fluffy peaks it’s time to give it a brush. You can buy sheepskin carding brushes that will detangle the fleece, remove any trapped dirt and produce the same volume that made you fall in love with your rug in the first place. Purchased online, these metal-teeth combs will make caring for your rug easy and produce results that mean you get to enjoy the beauty and pleasure of your rug.
However, brushing doesn’t end with rugs; you can brush your slippers too! A suede brush will reveal the true beauty of your slippers time and time again. Taking just a few minutes, you will extend both the appearance and the usability of your slippers with little extra care.
Another benefit of Possum Merino is that it doesn’t bobble, so it’s not necessary to brush your garments. However, if you feel that it has lost its soft and huggable appearance, you can wash it gently and allow to air dry. One word of warning never tumble dry your possum merino. Doing so will make it lose its luxurious feel, and cause it to be misshapen or shrink.
Turn down the heat
Whenever possible, keep sheepskin products out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. The glare and heat from sunlight can discolour, stiffen the underside and affect the quality of your rug as will being close to heat sources (fires, radiators, hot air blowers). This mainly only applies when drying rugs, sheepskin really is very durable and this perhaps makes it appear not. As a breathable fibre, sheepskin needs air. Wrapping in plastic is not advisable e.g. if storing your rug it’s not advisable to wrap in plastic.
As with rugs, avoid leaving your sheepskin slippers or merino possum garments in the direct sunlight or close to heat sources. By doing so, you are protecting the natural properties of the fibres and making sure that you continue to enjoy the benefits of your garments.
Why Ecowool?
Ecowool’s premium range of New Zealand rugs, slippers and woollens are environmentally-friendly and produced with an eco-friendly soul. We do not use any harsh chemicals to treat our skins and in doing so, produce the most divine and natural products that will give years and years of ongoing pleasure and comfort without damaging our beautiful home planet.