My aunt gave my sister and me this beautiful sheepskin shag run from the 70s when we moved into our new place. It has been sitting in my grandma’s garage…and needless to say, needed a serious bath. Our rug isn’t actually the skin of the sheep, but has the hairs attached to a fiber, so the washing process may be different for your own sheepskin rug. As always, if there are washing directions on your rug, follow those above all else. Ours was lucky enough to have instructions still attached, so I’ll walk you through the process. Dirty and smelly to say the least but worth it for a beautiful addition to our living room!

Before

1. Brush out the rug with a dog brush. Also gently vacuum (particularly important if the rug has been sitting in a garage for twenty years…).

Already looking better!

2. Wash the rug in lukewarm water in the bath tube. Add a capful of baby shampoo if the rug needs a deeper clean.

3. Rinse off the soap with cold water and let the rug drain in the tub (we waited about an hour).

4. Transfer the rug to a drying rack and lie flat to dry.

5. When completely dry, lay out the rug and brush again.

After.

Looks beautiful and is so soft. It’s a great addition to our living room.