The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Animal Hide Furniture

There is no doubt about the fact that reindeer, sheep and cow hide makes for excellent flooring and furniture. The right techniques will be required to take care of these materials though so that they last for a very long time to come. In this guide, we will look at how to look after your furnishings and what to do if the hide gets dirty and requires cleaning in the future.

Care Tips for Animal Hide Furniture

Maintaining the look of your animal hides isn’t that difficult to do. In fact, there are only a few simple techniques that you will need to follow to ensure they look their best for longer:

• Avoid using them in heavy traffic areas
• Keep them out of direct sunlight

You can fold up any animal hide rugs when storing them away. Any resulting creases will eventually disappear once you have unfolded them and left them on the floor for a few days. Alternatively, you can steam iron the underside and remove the creases in a more efficient manner.

For added safety, you can add Velcro dots to the underside and stick them to your timber or tile floors. This will prevent people kicking up the edges accidentally. The other option is to add a non-slip underlay to the rug so that people don’t slide and fall over unexpectedly.

Safe Cleaning Techniques

No matter how careful you are though, there is always the chance that your furnishings can get dirty. From reindeer hides to sheepskin, there are a number of common cleaning tips you can use to remove any dirt and grime without ruining the material itself:

• Leave the mess to dry and remove any solids with a spatula
• Wipe in the direction of the hair with a damp (not wet) cloth
• Blot liquid quickly by using a paper kitchen towel or sponge
• If necessary, use some mild, non-alkaline soap or shampoo
• Vacuum or shake the rug out to remove excess dust and dirt
• Use a stiff brush to make lifeless hairs soft and fluffy once more

There are also a few preventative tips when cleaning your hide furnishings. Avoid using harsh cleaning chemicals as these can destroy the colour and material. If you must use any cleaning solution, always test a small amount on a portion of the rug which remains hidden from view. If the chemicals are too strong, at least you won’t ruin the topside of the furniture. Finally, never use heat to clean the furniture, never get your rugs dry cleaned and never soak the material completely in water as this will all cause irreversible damage.

By following this advice, your hide furniture will look fantastic for many years to come. Not only will you be able to look after these items in the right way but you will also know what to do if you spill something on them. Finally, you will know what to avoid to ensure that your rugs and furnishings aren’t accidentally ruined by your care and cleaning techniques.

Author Bio: Caroline Park is a self-taught specialist in home furnishings. She especially enjoys browsing antique stores and markets and seeking out any unique items sold there.