With the onset of spring, winter clothes are replaced by lighter wardrobe items, say, a coat. The owner puts his sheepskin coat in the closet until next winter. But before doing this, it must be cleaned or even washed. Therefore, many often ask the question of whether it is possible to wash a sheepskin coat in a washing machine.
Is it worth washing?
Modernity constantly makes certain adjustments to the life of any person. With the advent of washing machines today, almost no one washes their things by hand, preferring machine washing. This is understandable, because now there are a large number of washing machines with a huge set of functions that do this difficult and labor-intensive work of washing things for a person. Some are so carried away by machine washing that they have given in to their laziness and categorically do not want to wash any thing by hand, indiscriminately throwing everything that comes to hand into the drum of the machine. But is it possible and is it worth doing? The housewife is strongly recommended to think seriously about this question. Is it possible to wash all things in a row in the machine?
It is one thing if the owner has been wearing a sheepskin coat for several years in a row. It is no longer new and, in principle, requires replacement. You can experiment with such a thing.If an incident happens and the item becomes unusable, you can simply throw it away. Another thing, a brand new sheepskin coat. Its owner purchased it quite recently and did not even have time to get used to it. If washing a natural sheepskin coat ruins it, it will certainly upset its owner very much.
If you look at the icon on the tag of the item, in the vast majority of cases you will find that machine washing is prohibited. Moreover, it is not always possible to even wash it by hand. The danger is that your favorite winter wardrobe item can be ruined. And after that, the owner is unlikely to wear it when going anywhere.
The difference in the materials from which sheepskin coats are made
Winter wardrobe items, like any other things, need careful care. They need to be cleaned regularly. Anyone who treats their belongings responsibly and with expressed care does not even want to hear about such a thing as washing a sheepskin coat in a washing machine. Many people prefer professional dry cleaning and take their favorite item there. There are many special salons for this. However, this may lead to a problem. Dry cleaning workers simply do not accept such things. And for some this thing is so dear that he will never trust it or give it into the wrong hands. Then there is only one way out. You need to stock up on strength and patience and wash your faux sheepskin coat yourself. Well, if so, you can try and hope that everything will certainly work out. But before doing this, you need to find out whether sheepskin coats are washed automatically in a machine, how to do this and is it possible to use any other method?
It is quite obvious that things made from natural and artificial materials require a different approach to their care. In order to understand how to wash a sheepskin coat at home, you need to clearly understand how this or that material can behave.
As for light, any material from which a sheepskin coat is made can fade. Moisture has a detrimental effect on natural things, but it cannot harm artificial things. Temperature will not harm natural material if it does not exceed 30 degrees. For items made from artificial fabrics, this figure is slightly higher and amounts to 40 degrees. Natural sheepskin coats should not be wrung out, as the item may become deformed. But washing an artificial sheepskin coat allows spinning at low speeds. Another important point is the possibility of using cleaning products. When washing natural sheepskin coats, they cannot be used, as stains may remain. As for artificial sheepskin coats, the use of cleaning products is allowed.
Armed with such knowledge, you can fully answer the question of how to wash a sheepskin coat in an automatic washing machine.
Washing natural sheepskin coats
Winter wardrobe items can get dirty just as easily as things from any other season. Suffice it to remember daily trips on public transport. This is especially true for trips during peak hours. Atmospheric phenomena in the form of rain, snow, and wind also have a great influence. Of course, all this affects the appearance of the thing. But any owner wants his things to always look presentable. So the owner decides to wash it.
Before you start cleaning, it is advisable to refer to the advice given by the manufacturers. To do this, the owner's gaze must be drawn to the label. It is not difficult to guess that in most cases you can find information about prohibiting washing on it. This is dictated by the characteristics of the material itself. Natural things are very sensitive to moisture. During their manufacture, a special composition is applied to the surface. This is necessary to soften and protect against external factors.
Not a single manufacturer will tell you for certain about the components that are included in such compositions to soften things. This is a trade secret. But in most cases, they necessarily contain soda and acid to make them more soft. Strength indicators are achieved by introducing tannins into the composition. If you wash a natural sheepskin coat, then you can almost 100% say that it can be ruined. The thing is simply deformed. So the owner is faced with a choice of what can be done in this case. On the one hand, it’s a pity to part with your favorite thing, but on the other hand, if you go out somewhere in such a sheepskin coat, others may consider it a sign of bad taste. If you ask a specialist whether sheepskin coats are machine washed automatically, you will receive a categorical “no” in response.
But at home you can wash a sheepskin coat without water, using the so-called dry wash. In this case, the following sequence of actions must be observed:
- Using a vacuum cleaner to remove dust.
- Removing stains and dirt.
- Application of special compounds to provide protection to the product.
At the very beginning, dust is removed from things using a regular vacuum cleaner. To do this, use a furniture cleaning attachment.Fur should be treated with particular care. It can be washed gently with a mild soap solution. After this, the fur must be thoroughly rinsed with water to remove the soap and dried in a suspended state.
After completing these steps, proceed to removing stains. For this, use folk remedies:
- Semolina. Rub the stain vigorously with it, then shake it thoroughly.
- Stale bread. Only its crust is used, which is rubbed onto the stain that was carelessly planted on the item.
- With the help of starch, you can effectively remove grease stains from dirty items. To do this, just sprinkle it on the stain and then shake it.
If someone still decides to use the wet method, then you can give them some advice. You can use the following methods:
- A solution of soda and ammonia is prepared. Each ingredient is taken in the amount of 1 teaspoon and dissolved in 100 ml. milk. This composition must be applied to the stain and rubbed in. The method allows you to remove even old stains on things.
- Kerosene. But it can only be used in cases where the sheepskin coat has a dark color. For cleaning, use a cotton pad soaked in kerosene.
- If you need to clean such a thing as a light sheepskin coat, you should use a composition consisting of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and milk.
But this is not the end of the cleaning process. After removing the stains, you still need to treat the cleaned areas. This is carried out with a composition that includes three tablespoons of table salt and one spoon of edible acetic acid. Glycerin shows good results for softening things after washing. Add 20 ml of it to 500 ml of water.This will be the answer to those who are interested in the question of how to soften a sheepskin coat after washing.
For natural sheepskin coats, you cannot use washing powders when washing. They contain salts and will leave streaks. After washing, the item should dry on hangers.
Storage conditions for natural items
Despite the fact that such an item as a natural sheepskin coat cannot be washed in an automatic machine, if you store it correctly, you can make it so that it will always have an excellent appearance. To do this, when storing the item, certain conditions must be met:
- No bright light.
- Avoid exposure to excessively dry air.
- Store the item in a cover.
- The sheepskin coat should hang in the closet on hangers.
- Fighting moths using special products.
Artificial sheepskin coat
It can be washed in an automatic machine.
Algorithm of actions:
- Absolutely everything must be removed from the pockets of the item before washing.
- If there are zippers, they must be fastened.
- Then the item is placed in the drum of the machine.
- It is important to choose the right mode when washing the item: temperature no more than 40 degrees, spin at 400 rpm.
- It is better to use special liquid detergents designed specifically for such items. They can be purchased in specialized stores.
After the washing cycle is complete, it is necessary to soften the item. To do this, you can use ready-made special compounds or use a glycerin mixture to soften the item.
In conclusion, it should be said that the advice in this article will help those who have decided to wash such an item as their favorite sheepskin coat at home.