Care for Your Sheepskin and Leather

Care Instruction for natural tanned hides
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The sheep skins are not factory made. Each hide is hand worked and will retain its natural character. There may be minor scrapes or blemishes on the skin from the processing.
GENERAL MAINTENANCE: Wool and animal hair is remarkably resilient and naturally stain resistant. Most dirt and debris can be easily removed with a good brushing, or shaking it outside like you would a small area rug. For brushing the long wool hides we recommend using a carding brush or a standard pet brush. Wool that has become matted down from use can be revived with a good brushing or flung. Simply shaking it out by hand should succinctly rid the hide of most dust and debris.
SPOTCLEANING: You can use a spray bottle and lightly spray the stain or spot treat with a damp cloth. When wetting wool, please make sure to spot clean in one direction, and avoid rubbing the area. Moisture +wool+agitation=felting!
MACHINE WASHING: In the event that you want to clean the entire hide, you can wash bark tanned hides in the washing machine. It’s best to use a gentle cycle with cool water. Wool can be affected by washing machine action. Avoid putting the hide in a clothes dryer. While still wet, lay the hide somewhere flat to dry. 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. Do not store your hides in airtight bags or containers in order to avoid collecting moisture. NOTE: Washing any hide may change its character. Sheep Meadow Farm IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CHANGES THAT OCCUR FROM WASHING.
Care Instruction for leather products​
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Products with leather should be wiped down regularly to keep the leather from cracking from normal wear and tear. We suggest at least once a month taking a damp cloth with warm water ad wiping all leather surfaces. This will remove any surface dirt that can cause dryness and cracking. We also suggest doing this anytime the item gets soiled, like taking your dog for a hike and they roll in the mud!
To clean and condition the leather:
Regularly cleaning your leather will preserve the finish and keep the leather supple for a long time. We suggest doing this at least once a month for best results. To do this you can use warm water and a saddle soap (found online or at any tack shop) or a very mild and watered down dish detergent, bubbles are your friend. There are many leather care products out there, most will do the job, just be sure to follow the company instructions for using the product.
For conditioning the leather, you can use any creme or wax based saddle conditioner (found online or at a local tack shop). For best results do this after thoroughly cleaning the leather, 3-4 times a year or after the leather got wet/super dirty.
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Products we recommend:
Effax and Effol
Passier Balsm
Christian Lowe Leather Care
Belvoir Leather Balsm
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