Does anyone know how to clean sheep skin seat covers - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

alabbasi · #1 08-12-2013, 04:59 PM

I have a 350SLC which has nice, but very dirty sheep skin covers. The last set I took to the cleaners were ruined after I got them back.

Thanks

Chad300tdt · #2 08-12-2013, 05:04 PM

Shake them out, brush and vacuum, or dry clean at a shop that can handle cleaning leather and suede.

You can also spot wash with mild soap. Washing machines and driers are very bad.

alabbasi · #3 08-12-2013, 05:06 PM

Yeah, given that the car sat for a while. I would be quite certain that a rat peed on the seat covers at one time or another so a cleaning is a must. But I'll call around for dry cleaners.

Thanks

compu_85 · #4 08-12-2013, 05:14 PM

If a hand wash with some normal laundry soap makes them fall apart I'd think the same thing would happen anyway once you started using them again.

Tip: Don't have a washtub? Just put them in the washing machine, but stop it when the cycle starts. Then you can just reach in and scrub / mush them around in the soapy water. If you put it on a slow spin cycle I wouldn't think that would hurt them either, and will help a lot drying them.

-J

JB3 · #5 08-12-2013, 05:30 PM

these things can't go in a normal washing machine on delicate cycle?

Chad300tdt · #6 08-12-2013, 05:33 PM

Have you done the washing tub/machine thing J? If they really can survive that, I would consider getting some myself.

I'd be worried about completely soaking them. Real sheepskin covers have leather under all that wool. I'd never throw a leather jacket in the wash, so I figured the leather on sheepskin would also get damaged.

HuskyMan · #7 08-12-2013, 06:27 PM

There are only a handful of manufacturers who make Sheep Skin seat covers that are machine washable. The rest of them MUST be dry cleaned.

HuskyMan · #8 08-12-2013, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chad300tdt

Shake them out, brush and vacuum, or dry clean at a shop that can handle cleaning leather and suede.

You can also spot wash with mild soap. Washing machines and driers are very bad.

ditto that. especially the "cleaning leather and suede" part. Not all dry cleaners clean leather and suede.

compu_85 · #9 08-12-2013, 09:27 PM

Ah forgot about the leather. No, I've never had a set of sheepskins to wash

-J

alabbasi · #10 08-13-2013, 12:14 AM

Thanks guys. It sounds like a challenge.

jplinville · #11 08-13-2013, 06:53 AM

The best way is in the baa-aa-aa-ath tub.

JB3 · #12 08-13-2013, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by compu_85

Ah forgot about the leather. No, I've never had a set of sheepskins to wash

-J

Same here, I guess I never realized that those seat covers were actually sheepskin! I thought it was a synthetic product made to look like sheep skin. Never had one either

oldsinner111 · #13 08-13-2013, 07:53 AM

was it a pet Rat? I use to raise Rats,but their short lifespans broke my heart

Chris W. · #14 08-13-2013, 01:10 PM

I have a good set of real sheepskins which were on the car when I bought it 9 years ago. Never cleaned them until I managed to spill a McD's hot chocolate on the passenger seat one Saturday morning.

I just went ahead and cleaned it in the kitchen sink (we have a big sink) using some dishwashing detergent. Just submerge and squish it around repeatedly in soapy water. A lot of grunge came out.... Then drain the sink and refill with clean water and do it all again to get all the soapy water and remaining dirt out of the skin. May have to do this a couple times.

Then I squeezed as much water out as possible and hung it on a plastic garden chair in the sun to dry with some resemblance of the original form. It came out really nice and none the worse for it structurally, and no shrinkage.

Rgds,
Chris W.
'95 E300D, 400K

TwitchKitty · #15 08-14-2013, 07:01 AM

Pet shampoo and sheep dip?

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