So, you made the decision to purchase a large sheepskin rug and now, an accident occurs. Someone has spilled red wine on your gorgeous, soft, new, large sheepskin rug. What do you do? Don't panic, but do move fast to blot up as much of the red wine as you can. Realize that natural sheepskin rugs are inherently resistant to stains. Wool fibres are covered by a thin membrane that acts as a protective coating. Its natural tendency is to repel liquids.



Blot the stain with cold water and try to rinse as much away at first as is possible. If the stain is isolated to a small area, proportion a small amount of wool shampoo, or another non-enzyme detergent, mild soap, dish detergent, or baby shampoo and mix it with a cup of barely warm water. Using a white cloth (so that you can better observe the remnants removed), gently blot at the stain, working from the outside edges of the stain inwards. Working on the stain in this manner should keep it from spreading out any further. Then, let the area rest for a few minutes. Keep repeating until the stain has vanished. Get a fresh cloth, rinse the area with cold water, and blot until dry.

If the stain has dribbled or stretched over a length of your sheepskin rug, your best bet may be to pre-treat it by soaking the affected areas in non-enzyme and, preferably, specialized shampoo manufactured solely for sheepskin products. After soaking the areas in cold water and mild detergent, load the rug into your washing machine and set it on the gentle cycle. Use cold or lukewarm water. Once it completes the washing cycle, remove it and see how it looks. To dry it, lay it flat. It needs to air-dry; never put a sheepskin rug in the dryer. When air-drying, make sure it stays away from direct sunlight as the sun's rays can damage the wool fibres, as well as the colour of the rug. If you think it needs to be washed twice, make sure you add a special wool conditioner to the final rinse cycle as the backing needs to remain supple and pliable.

There are also companies that offer rug-cleaning services. If you are afraid of trying to get the stain out yourself, or if it hasn't come out with the efforts listed above, you may decide to call a company that specialises in stain removals on sheepskin rugs. Your large sheepskin rug is too valuable of an investment to lose due to a stain.

The old adage, you get what you pay for, works with sheepskin rugs. A true, all-natural sheepskin rug offers many benefits over a cheaper or synthetic look-alike version. As well, only the structure of real wool fibres allows for natural stain-resistant abilities to keep your sheepskin rug looking great for a very long time. The natural resilience of wool also keeps the fibres from becoming crushed and looking worn over time.