Lamb skin wash or shampoo - what do I use?

[treedelivery]

HI - we swore by our wonderful expensive ecologically tanned new zealand lambs skin for dd1. Now dd2 is nearly here and I want to wash to skin for her use.

Have never washed it before as it has always looked pristine - but it now has shoe dirt from buggy outings so needs a spruce up for a newborn.

Am loathe to spend £15 plus P&P buying the wool wash I've found online till I know there is no alternative from someone out there!!

All ideas or products you've seen welcome!

plain water? maybe that's all that's needed to lift the dirt off.

one of those shampoos that looks kind of creamy is best, iykwim. wool is hair after all. depending on how likely you are to wash it, if you have any sheepskin rugs etc it may be worth getting hold of the lanolin that's sold for waterproofing wool nappy wraps. adding a drop of that to the final soak acts as a moisturiser and ime keeps the hide supple too, which is the main thing that goes when you wash them. make sure to dry away from direct sunlight or heat (will take a while in this weather ) then a brush down with a cat/dog brush - those ones with hundreds of bent teeth set in a rubber pad, cost a few quid in supermarkets - and they're good as new.

Do you know I hadn't actually thought of that

I got some from the place where we bought ours. Hang on and I'll see what it's called (a little tannery on the Isle of Skye)...

Merino Wool Wash (Merino being the brand name). It's quite a small bottle, but you only need a wee bit in your machine.

here you go - they sell it from their website.

I wash mine in the washing machine on a cold wash and then let it dry naturally. I then brush it with a hiar brush and it's been fine. I only wash it when I really need to and haven't for a while due to ds 1 growing up and not getting it dirty.

I just fling mine in the washing machine with that btw - it comes out as good as new.

Thanks puppydetox - it has had one wash and the hide went crispy so thats what I worried about tbh.

Blooming £70 a pop so don't want to ruin it!

Thanks everyone! Sounds good all this - like I can't do too much damage.

Will check out the tannery on Skye...am gonna wanna a new one...