Are Your Sheepskin Boots Ready for Another Winter?

Are you one of the many thousands of fashiontop of the boot unless you specifically want to wash
conscious, comfortable footwear loving, downrightthe insides. (If you want to you can take the sheepskin
sensible people who haveinsoles out and wash them separately - I've found this
discovered the joy of real sheepskin boots? Are yourfreshens the boots up nicely without the need to wash
beautiful sheepskin boots looking a little dirty and sorrythe insides). You will be amazed how dry the insides of
for themselves after all the hard work of keeping youthe boot remain even when you dunk the whole of the
warm and snug last winter (and maybe some wintersboot into the water - it just goes to prove the
before that too)? Do you look at your once pristineassertion that real sheepskin is naturally water
uggs and think that maybe they've seen betterresistant.3) Using your hands just pour the soapy
days?Well - don't consign them to the rubbish bin justwater over the boot and massage the boot surface
yet because now is the perfect time to give them ato 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 thembrush to gently scrub them - but do be careful not to
to come up looking as good as new.Boots which havedamage the suede outer surface of the sheepskin.4)
been made from high quality real sheepskin are veryOnce clean the boots can be rinsed, either under
easy to care for. They can be hand washed in next torunning 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 beremove the excess water and then blot the outsides
careful what you use though - I stripped the colourand stuff the insides with clean kitchen towel.6) They
from a cheap pair of sheepskin boots by using toonow need to be left to dry naturally - away from
strong a detergent! So now I use a speciallydirect heat. You will have to be patient as this can take
formulated sheepskin shampoo and have had mucha few days depending on the ambient room
better results!) Also - do not under any circumstancestemperature but please don't be tempted to put them
be tempted to put them in the washing machine - youon a radiator - they might go hard and you could
will regret it!From personal experience I've found thepermanently damage the sheepskin.7) Once the boots
best method to use is as follows:-1) Fill a basin withare 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 verythis.8) Lastly and most importantly, don't forget to
much but don't worry). The essential thing tore-protect them once they are clean by spraying them
remember when washing real sheepskin is that itwith sheepskin or suede
doesn't like to get too hot - water that is too hot willprotector spray.If you look after your real sheepskin
make the wool's fibres seize up. If you've everboots 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 canSue 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 thea huge fan of her many pairs of Warmbat sheepskin
top of the boot - try not to get too much water in theboots.