How you clean a sheepskin, goat or deer hide depends on the type of tannage that was used to preserve it. At Driftless Tannery we use two methods; alum tawning and mimosa bark tanning.
Alum tawning produces lovely, white supple leather products that are perfect for indoor use. Alum tawned hides are well preserved and long lasting but the leather is not water resistant. Therefore, when you clean an alum tawned hide you must take care not to soak the leather. For light stains, letting the area dry and using a metal pet brush to remove the dirt is usually sufficient. For tough stains, you can use a spray bottle with water or a 1:3 solution of vinegar to water and lightly spray the stain or you can spot treat with a damp cloth. When wetting the wool, please make sure to spot clean in one direction, and avoid rubbing the area. Moisture + wool + agitation = felting! Take care not to get the skin wet beneath the fiber. Just like all leather products, water will change the physical characteristics of the skin and you may end up with hard spots. If the skin does get wet (let’s face it, life happens) then you should take care to gently stretch the skin to its original shape as it dries. Just like you wouldn’t toss a leather coat or hand bag into the washing machine and expect it to be fine, DO NOT put these in the washing machine!
Mimosa bark tanned sheepskin are water resistant. In the event that you want to clean the entire hide, you can wash bark tanned hides in a tub of water or in the washing machine. Bark tanned sheepskin can be put in the washing machine on gentle cycle with cold water and a wool friendly detergent. Please note that all wool can felt in the washing machine.
Certain types of wool such as that from long wool breeds or breeds with fine wool will almost always felt in the washing machine. It is best to handwash those bark tanned sheepskin in a tub. When wetting the wool, be sure to brush or rub the fiber in one direction.
Do not rub back and forth or felting will occur!
Goat and deer are less affected by agitation and can be put into a gentle cycle in the washing machine, but you may find that some of the hair comes loose in the washing machine.
Never put a hide in the tumble dryer. It is best to air dry on a line and gently stretch the sheepskin as it dries. You may find the edges of the hide curl a bit during the drying process. Gently smooth the edges as it dries and your hide should return to its prewashed state.
We take great pride to know that each product we hand create becomes a legacy textile and we hope that this blog helps you keep them looking their best for many years to come.
Thank you for reading and for supporting our tiny tannery!
Team Driftless