Cowhide rug care and maintenance

They look great, they're durable, and great for high traffic areas. What's not to love?
Regardless, as with any type of rug they still do need to be cleaned from time to time - and these rugs need to be cleaned a little differently to your classic wool type rugs.

Lets take a look at the best ways to clean a cow hide rug!

Cow Hide Rug Cleaning: General Information

- Cow hides have a natural grip on their underside and therefore don't really need rug pads to help keep them in place. Because of this, you'll find a fair bit of variation in where these types of rugs live. This type of rug is found on Tiles, vinyl, wood, carpet, and even on the patio.
That being said, it's not a great idea to place this type of rug in direct sun or wet areas due to the slightly more organic nature of the rug. If you leave the rug under direct sunlight too much, the leather may shrink and cause the ends to roll up a little.

- If this rug type is placed in a high traffic area, be sure to rotate it occasionally to help even out the traffic marks.

- Vacuuming is great for this rug, along with the occasional shake out whilst outside. Combing the rug in the same direction as their hairs will help to loosen them up and keep a soft feel, along with getting rid of any dirt you may have missed.

- The longer you leave a spill on the rug, the longer it will have to be absorbed into the leather underneath. That's not a good thing! Do your best to soak up any excess liquid quickly, but while doing so, avoid soaking the leather underneath. A non alkaline soapy solution is best for this (water and shampoo).

- Remove odour and balance the PH levels of the cowhide rug by wiping it with a damp cloth that has been bathed in 5% vinegar and 95% water.

- Cow hides can not be hand or machine washed or dry cleaned.

- All of the above also applies to patchwork cow-hide rugs.

Easy quick guide for liquid stains

Removing food stains

A spoon, knife or brush will do the job here. Scrape in the direction of the fibres. Once the majority of the food has gone, use a damp cloth bathed in either

a) Non alkaline solution

b) 5% vinegar and 95% water

Once done, use a cloth bathed in only water to rinse out the solution. Again, try not to drown the leather underneath.

Removing Grease stains

Use the initial scraping method as mentioned above, but for the actual solution - use organic eucalyptus oil. Remove this oil with water once done.

Steam Cleaning

This is an option, but should only be used if the rug is well and truly in need of a good clean that you feel you can't do yourself! If you choose this option - the rug may get damp but not wet. Make sure to dry the rug very well and keep an eye on it to ensure that it doesn't get too dry.