Instead I thought I'd show you the sheep skinned rug I picked up at the flea market last weekend. When I found it hiding under a pile of kid sized sleeping bags, I did one of those gasps people do in movies when they've discovered gold or treasure or something! It seemed to be in great shape, except for a few surface stains and a musty smell from being in the flea market barn. I took it home, laid it on the kitchen floor and looked at it for a while, trying to figure out how to get it clean. I found lots of info on the web, but it was all so conflicting. My biggest concerns were felting the wool and ruining the soft leather backing. I went to Facebook, and as I'd hoped, lots of you were experienced in washing sheep skins. Here's what I did, in case you're interested...
First, I filled up the tub with luke warm water and a few drops of soap. I let the rug soak for 30 minutes. The water was really dirty, so I drained the tub, rolled up the rug and gave it a good stomping to squeeze the water out. I filled up the tub again and let it soak again. The rug is about 4 feet x 6 feet and really heavy when wet, making it hard to move around. I decided that the best way to get it rinsed properly was to put it in the washing machine. I ended up spinning and rinsing a few times in the washer and then hung it out on the line for a few days.
I guess it was a success, because I found Luke sleeping on it when I woke up this morning! Not bad, for a $5 flea market find.
Sweater photos? Maybe tomorrow.
Awesome find!
ReplyDeleteAn amazing find for $5.00. So glad that your washing method worked out well.
ReplyDeleteI know that feeling!! What an amazing find.
ReplyDeleteoh you lucky girl! What a lovely find!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome find!!
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