| Are you one of the many thousands of fashion | | | | top of the boot unless you specifically want to wash |
| conscious, comfortable footwear loving, downright | | | | the insides. (If you want to you can take the sheepskin |
| sensible people who have | | | | insoles out and wash them separately - I've found this |
| discovered the joy of real sheepskin boots? Are your | | | | freshens the boots up nicely without the need to wash |
| beautiful sheepskin boots looking a little dirty and sorry | | | | the insides). You will be amazed how dry the insides of |
| for themselves after all the hard work of keeping you | | | | the boot remain even when you dunk the whole of the |
| warm and snug last winter (and maybe some winters | | | | boot into the water - it just goes to prove the |
| before that too)? Do you look at your once pristine | | | | assertion that real sheepskin is naturally water |
| uggs and think that maybe they've seen better | | | | resistant.3) Using your hands just pour the soapy |
| days?Well - don't consign them to the rubbish bin just | | | | water over the boot and massage the boot surface |
| yet because now is the perfect time to give them a | | | | to get it clean - if they are very dirty I use a soft nail |
| little wash and brush up and see if you can't get them | | | | brush to gently scrub them - but do be careful not to |
| to come up looking as good as new.Boots which have | | | | damage the suede outer surface of the sheepskin.4) |
| been made from high quality real sheepskin are very | | | | Once clean the boots can be rinsed, either under |
| easy to care for. They can be hand washed in next to | | | | running water or in another basinfull of clean water |
| no time and provided you use a special sheepskin | | | | (again lukewarm).5) Squeeze the boots gently to |
| shampoo or mild soap flakes they will be fine. (Do be | | | | remove the excess water and then blot the outsides |
| careful what you use though - I stripped the colour | | | | and stuff the insides with clean kitchen towel.6) They |
| from a cheap pair of sheepskin boots by using too | | | | now need to be left to dry naturally - away from |
| strong a detergent! So now I use a specially | | | | direct heat. You will have to be patient as this can take |
| formulated sheepskin shampoo and have had much | | | | a few days depending on the ambient room |
| better results!) Also - do not under any circumstances | | | | temperature but please don't be tempted to put them |
| be tempted to put them in the washing machine - you | | | | on a radiator - they might go hard and you could |
| will regret it!From personal experience I've found the | | | | permanently damage the sheepskin.7) Once the boots |
| best method to use is as follows:-1) Fill a basin with | | | | are completely dry you can brush them to bring up the |
| lukewarm water and add some sheepskin shampoo. | | | | suede surface, although I've never felt the need to do |
| Stir the shampoo into the water (it won't foam very | | | | this.8) Lastly and most importantly, don't forget to |
| much but don't worry). The essential thing to | | | | re-protect them once they are clean by spraying them |
| remember when washing real sheepskin is that it | | | | with sheepskin or suede |
| doesn't like to get too hot - water that is too hot will | | | | protector spray.If you look after your real sheepskin |
| make the wool's fibres seize up. If you've ever | | | | boots they will look after your feet for years to come |
| machine washed a pure wool jumper that should only | | | | - so what are you waiting for - get those boots |
| have been hand washed you will know what I mean - | | | | washed and ready for the coming winter now!(c)2005. |
| it's quite astonishing how an adult sized jumper can | | | | Sue Madelin is the owner of The Snug Stop, purveyor |
| shrink to the size of dolls clothing in just one wash!2) | | | | of finest quality Australian Merino sheepskin boots, and |
| Dunk the whole boot into the water almost up to the | | | | a huge fan of her many pairs of Warmbat sheepskin |
| top of the boot - try not to get too much water in the | | | | boots. |