Medical Sheepskin Care

Sheepskins consist of the natural wool attached to the tanned leather backing. The sheepskin must be carefully laundered to ensure that the leather is not damaged.

There is a temperature at which a sheepskin will shrink irreversibly and this temperature must never be exceeded. This shrink temperature varies with the type of tanning used. Some laundry chemicals destabilise the leather structure and should not be used.

All Shear Comfort Pressre Care Products are made from HiTemp Medical Sheepskin. Laundry studies of HiTemp Sheepskins have found no instances of shrinkage when the correct cleaning procedures have been used.

Shrinkage of green HiTemp Medical Sheepskins occur when these sheepskins are exposed to excess heat (above 80^oC) or exposure to the following laundering chemicals:

• Enzymes
• Phosphates
• Peroxide
• Alkali
• Bleach
• Triethanolamine
• Sequestering Agents
• Phosphoric Acid

Soiled sheepskin should be cleaned as soon as possible. Any spillage should be soaked up by a paper towel or damp sponge. Sheepskins soiled by urine are ideally rinsed in cold water as soon as possible and then washed as described below.

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Washing HiTemp Medical Sheepskin

To clean, disinfect and condition HiTemp Medical Sheepskin products use the following procedure:

1. Clean up any spillage with a clean damp cloth or paper towel..
2. Rinse in cold water if soiled with urine.
3. Fill the washing machine with COLD or lukewarm water- NEVER HOT  

   The use of excessively hot water:

   •   Will damage leather and may cause it to shrink

   •   May cause felting of the wool pile

   •   May cause loss of colour.

   •   May make thorough rinsing much more difficult.

   •   May set some stains and make them difficult to remove

   4.  Add Shear Comfort Sheepskin Shampoo & Woolwash with Conditioner. Use 20mL for each sheepskin overlay or 2lb/1kg of sheepskin product. Use half of these quantities if a front loading machine is used. ( Wool detergents, eg Woolite;  are not recommended for the washing of  sheepskins as they may contain chelating agents, phosphates, alkali, bleach, peroxide, triethanolamine, sequestering agents, phosphoric acid or enzymes. All are  harmful to leather and should not be used.)

5. Use "Gentle" or "Wool" cycle. This will reduce agitation and the consequent felting of the wool. DOUBLE RINSE

6. When the second rinse cycle has finished, transer to the dryer and dry with noheat or low heat; until the wool is just damp. Do not over dry. Treat the wool as you would if you were drying your own hair. May also be dried on the back of a chair or drying rack. Dry with the leather facing up; since the leather takes longer to dry than the wool. In most houses, a sheepskin overlay will dry in 1/2 to 1 day. Do not place in the sun or near a direct heat source as this may cause the leather to shrink.

We recommend : Shear Comfort: Sheepskin Shampoo & Conditioner with Tea Tree Oil,a new generation cleaning product developed in conjunction with the tanning industry, to lubricate the sheepskin leather and give a distinct lustre and handle to the wool. The anti-bacterial in Shear Comfort: Sheepskin Shampoo & Conditioner remains in the washed article, providing continued action and prevention of odours.

 

4. Shear Comfort: Sheepskin Shampoo & Conditioner kills mites ( the cause of house dust asthma). Washing with Shear Comfort: Sheepskin Shampoo & Conditioner will also remove mite allergens.

 

WASHING SHEAR COMFORT FOOTCARE PRODUCTS

Sheepskin Slippers and Pressure Care Boots should ONLY be handwashed.

Use cold water to hand wash your sheepskin slippers or pressure care boots, - hot water can damage the boots. Never put boots or sheepskin slippers in a washing machine, as this can permanently damage the sheepskin.

Do not dry your sheepskin slippers or boots in a dryer, near a heat source, or in direct sunlight. Instead, stuff the sheepskin slippers with paper towels, and let them dry naturally, away from heat. The towels will help the boots to keep their shape.

We recommend that you use Shear Comfort: Sheepskin Shampoo & Conditioner to protect, clean and disinfect your Sheepskin Slippers and Pressure Care Boots. Common boot products could damage them.

• INSTITUTIONAL WASHING 

Use the following washing instructions for HiTemp Medical Sheepskins, to meet thermal disinfection requirements. The washing machine should be loaded to half capacity.



The recommended detergent for institutional thermal and chemical disinfection  is Shear Comfort: Sheepskin Shampoo & Conditioner.  Acetic acid can be added to steps 1,5, & 9 to aid dye fastness ( pH controlled to 3.8- 4.2)

Shear Comfort Certification

 ISO 13485