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Taking Proper Care of your Cow Hides

Decorating with exotic cow hides is a great way to add personality to any design. Because of the flexibility of designing with cowhides, you can use it in any design style. From rustic, traditional styles, to more modern twists, we offer options so you can find the right fit for your home. Cow hides are designed to last a very long time. Because they are extremely durable they can last for many years. However, properly maintaining these rugs requires a little attentiveness to ensure that your cowhide continues to look great years down the road. Here a few things you need to know about caring for your cowhide product:

Regular Cleaning

Your rug should be shaken out at least once a week. This helps to remove dust and other larger debris that has gathered in the folds of your rug. You can vacuum a cowhide rug, however it requires careful techniques that can often be time consuming. If you do opt for a vacuum use just the hose to suck up crumbs etc. The brushes of the vacuum body can damage the hair on your rug.

Little Details

Accidents happen and occasionally you may miss a spill before it has time to dry and crust onto your beautiful carpet, pillow or decorative piece. You can remove dried substances with the blunt part of a knife. Remember to go with the hair to avoid damaging your product. You may also want to consider using a warm, damp cloth to clean your rug, pillow, purse or decorative piece. Use very mild soap, warm water and a soft rag or soft brush. You don’t have to follow the direction of the hair. Just remember to pat the cowhide dry to remove excess water.

Washing and drying

While you should never wash any cowhide product in the washer or have them dry cleaned, they can benefit from a good steam cleaning. This helps remove older grime and return your cowhide product to its former glory. Use caution when steam cleaning to prevent excess water. Once your carpet has been properly stem cleaned, dry it over a chair or rack, with the hair facing down. Drying it outside will speed the process and ensuring that the hair faces down will protect your rug from fading.

Display with care

Cowhide rugs are designed to last a very long time, but choosing where you place your rug, pillows or decorative pieces can make a difference in the longevity and frequency of cleaning required. While cowhides are safe to use anywhere (they are generally non-slip), using them in high-traffic areas will cause the hair to fade more quickly. Additionally, displaying your carpet in a very sunny room will likely cause your rugs and pillows to fade a bit faster. Try to avoid displaying your decorative cow hide in direct sunlight. The sunlight is more of a risk for dyed or printed cowhides, but natural cowhides will also fade if it is excessively exposed to the light and foot traffic.

Storage Concerns

Whether you are traveling or need to store your rug for other reasons, properly storing the cow hides for sale online will increase their longevity and make it much easier to redisplay your piece when you are ready to bring it out. Store your cowhide pieces in a dark, cool place. The storage place should also be well ventilated to prevent molding and mildew on your rug. When you store it, you can roll it up. If possible, find a round cardboard tube and wrap your rug around it, cover with a sheet and store. You’ll need to let your rug settle once your remove it from storage, but it should retain its normal shape within a few days.