Smelly sheepskin...help!

[OldLadyYoungOTTB]

I know this isn’t HJ-specific question but I wasn’t sure where else to ask & I know some of you have this pad…

I washed my Thinline Trifecta 1/2 pad for the first time last week. It is the one with sheepskin rolls, not the full sheepskin. First off I tried hand-washing it in cold water in my tub, but it didn’t get clean. The sheepskin was VERY smelly, too. I crossed my fingers and tossed it in the wash machine. I let it air dry both times.

It’s very clean now, and the sheepskin LOOKS great, but the sheepskin part still smells really bad. Maybe it always has smelled…I’ll confess I don’t make a habit of sniffing my half pads.

Has anyone else encountered this and did you get the smell out? Or, do half pads just always sort of smell and I’ve never noticed?

[Mukluk]

I wash my sheepskin items in a combination of livestock shampoo and leather wash. I don’t think they smell. Perhaps you need to recruit some test sniffers to determine if it others think it smells or if it is just you? I hope it will all work out for the best.

[OldLadyYoungOTTB]

[QUOTE=Mukluk;8850980]
But I wash my sheepskin items in a combination of livestock shampoo and leather wash. I don’t think they smell. Perhaps you need to recruit some test sniffers to determine if it others think it smells or if it is just you?[/QUOTE]

Trust me, it smells. :lol: You can’t smell it from a distance but I put it in my car with the windows shut and that was a bad idea.

By combination, do you mean one or the other or do you mix those two?

[Mukluk]

I mix the two because I am usually do a load of sheepskin as well as suede half chaps. Sorry it is smelly. Does it get better after it air dries for awhile in the sun?

[OldLadyYoungOTTB]

I haven’t tried the sun. I did leave it out on my back porch for a day and it helped, but it still smells. Maybe it will air out in time. Thanks for your help!

[keysfins]

I use MELP, which is specifically for washing sheepskin. I use it on my ThinLine pads, and also some hair-on sheep pelts. Cold water, gentle wash.

Do not dry in the sun, but do allow to air dry. The sheepskin can shrink a but if it is in the sun. I air dry in the shade, on a nice breezy day if I can.

Alternative to using MELP (which can be expensive) is to wash in Woolite on cold/gentle cycle, with Downy unscented softener.

Both methods work well, and should remove any ‘off’ smell.

[Scribbler]

what kind of smell do you mean?

Wet wool can have a wet dog smell that goes away once it dries. This can be true of any raw wool product. Nothing to do about that, other than dry it well and air it out.

is it a mildew or mold smell? In that case, washing and sun drying as well, maybe rinsing in vinegar?

[OldLadyYoungOTTB]

[QUOTE=Scribbler;8850991]
what kind of smell do you mean?

Wet wool can have a wet dog smell that goes away once it dries. This can be true of any raw wool product. Nothing to do about that, other than dry it well and air it out.

is it a mildew or mold smell? In that case, washing and sun drying as well, maybe rinsing in vinegar?[/QUOTE]

Wet dog is a pretty good descriptor, and toss in some horse smell. Maybe it’s not fully dry.

[Limerick]

[QUOTE=OldLadyYoungOTTB;8851180]
Wet dog is a pretty good descriptor, and toss in some horse smell. Maybe it’s not fully dry.[/QUOTE]
It’s probably not fully dry. My husband told me “something had probably died” in our closet once when I put the sheepskin pad away without letting it dry completely!

[ladyj79]

[QUOTE=Limerick;8851252]
It’s probably not fully dry. My husband told me “something had probably died” in our closet once when I put the sheepskin pad away without letting it dry completely![/QUOTE]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Foxglove6]

Wool smells like wet dead animal because it is wet dead animal. The first time I washed real wool fabric, I was very sure I had accidentally closed my cat in the washing machine. Set it outside on a warm clear day, sun will not harm it, and let it fully dry.

[beowulf]

Question - are you putting it directly on the horse’s back?

If so, or if it gets sweaty even with a saddle pad in between, flip it over and hang it on a fence sheepskin side up - let it dry in the sunlight daily.

I don’t put any of my sheepskin in the washer machine, but I do soak it occasionally in a bucket of semi-warm water with a hearty jug of whatever shampoo I have on hand (usually Head&Shoulders). Mix/mill the pad around in the bucket vigorously for 2 minutes, let it sit for 5, mix/mill again and then hose off, flip over and hang to dry.

[OldLadyYoungOTTB]

@Limerick;8851252

It’s probably not fully dry. My husband told me “something had probably died” in our closet once when I put the sheepskin pad away without letting it dry completely![/QUOTE]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

@Foxglove6;8851879

Wool smells like wet dead animal because it is wet dead animal. The first time I washed real wool fabric, I was very sure I had accidentally closed my cat in the washing machine. Set it outside on a warm clear day, sun will not harm it, and let it fully dry.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[QUOTE=beowulf;8851925]Question - are you putting it directly on the horse’s back?

Nope, I use a square saddle pad underneath.

Today’s update: Good news! It apparently wasn’t fully dry, even though it felt dry. It smells loads better today. Just a hint of smell, which I’m hoping will disappear also. Thanks all for your tips!!

[lachelle]

Yes, the wet wool definitely smells like dead animal. I had the same panic attack you had, except that mine ALSO had begun disintegrating and I had chunks of flesh coming off my saddle pad… (on only wash #2?!)

I will also say that Thinline does NOT suggest washing in melp. They advise to either use their product, or Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo to clean your saddle pads.