How to Clean a Shearling Coat Without Ruining the Skin

To clean a shearling coat, brush it when dry, blot spills with a barely damp cloth, let rain dry off at room temperature away from heat, and leave anything deeper to a specialist in leather, sheepskin or fur. Never put it in a washing machine or tumble dryer, and never send it to an ordinary dry cleaner. Shearling is a skin, not a fabric, and most of the damage people do to it comes from treating it like one.

What you are actually cleaning

Shearling is a sheep or lamb skin tanned and dressed with the wool left on. One side is the leather, usually finished as suede and usually worn outward; the other is the fleece. Some coats have a smooth nappa finish instead of suede, and some are made reversible. That is why shearling care is two jobs at once: the wool wants the gentle handling you would give a good sweater, and the skin wants the handling you would give fine suede. Water, heat and harsh solvents are what hurt the skin, and once the skin stiffens or cracks, it rarely comes back.

Every coat in our vintage shearling coats collection is listed as genuine or faux, so you know which of the rules below apply.

Do and don't, at a glance

Situation	Do	Don't
Everyday dust	Shake it out; brush the suede nap with a suede brush once dry	Brush while wet; use a suede brush on a nappa finish
A spill	Blot with a clean, barely damp cloth	Rub, which spreads the mark and pushes it in
A grease spot	Cover it with cornflour (corn starch), leave a day or two, brush off	Use household detergent or solvents on the suede
Rain or snow	Shake off, blot with a towel, hang on a broad hanger at room temperature	Dry it with a hairdryer, radiator or heater
Road salt	Have it removed promptly	Leave it on through the season
Deep cleaning	Use a specialist in leather, sheepskin or fur	Washing machine, tumble dryer, or an ordinary dry cleaner
Storage	Broad hanger, room to breathe, away from light and heat	Plastic covers, a cedar closet, or mothballs

Everyday care

Most shearling never needs more than this. Shake the coat out after wearing it and let it air before it goes back in the wardrobe. Once it is completely dry, brush the suede side lightly in the direction of the nap to lift dust and restore the surface. On a nappa (smooth) finish, skip the brush and wipe gently with a soft cloth instead. The fleece can be fluffed lightly with a brush where it has flattened at the collar and cuffs.

Spills and stains

Act quickly. Blot the excess with a clean cloth that is damp, not wet, and lift rather than rub: rubbing spreads the mark and works it into the nap. For grease or oil, Overland, a sheepskin maker, suggests covering the spot with corn starch and leaving it for a day or two, longer for a bigger mark, then dusting it off and brushing the nap.

Be modest about what you attempt at home. The American Fur Council's advice is to leave shearling cleaning to a specialist altogether, because cleaning suede needs the right equipment and agents to avoid discoloration, drying out and cracking. Blotting a fresh spill is safe; anything set, large or on a pale coat is a job for a professional.

Caught in the rain

Rain and snow will not ruin shearling if you deal with them properly. Shake off what you can, blot with a towel, then hang the coat on a broad hanger to dry at room temperature in a ventilated room. Keep it away from radiators, heaters and hairdryers: direct heat dries the skin out and can make it crack. Do not brush it until it is fully dry. If the leather has been soaked right through, take it to a specialist to be reconditioned, since heavy wetting can mottle the colour or pull the coat out of shape.

Winter salt

Road salt and de-icing chemicals discolour suede and dry out the skin, and the longer they stay on, the more damage they do. Have salt marks removed as soon as possible rather than leaving them until the end of the season.

Can you wash or dry clean shearling?

No to both, in the ordinary sense. A washing machine soaks the skin, which can shrink, stiffen and crack as it dries, and a tumble dryer hardens it. A standard dry-cleaning cycle is also the wrong process: its solvents strip the natural oils that keep the leather supple. Deep cleaning should go to a cleaner who specialises in leather, sheepskin or fur and uses a process made for it. The American Fur Council recommends having the wool side cleaned yearly and the leather side only when it is visibly soiled, since cleaning the suede can change its colour or finish.

How to store a shearling coat

Hang it on a broad, shaped hanger so the shoulders keep their line, with room around it in the wardrobe rather than pressed between other coats. Keep it out of direct light, which can alter the colour, and away from heat. Never store it in plastic: dry-cleaner's bags and vinyl covers do not let air circulate, which can discolour the skin. The American Fur Council prefers shearling hung uncovered; if you want a cover, Overland recommends a breathable cotton or woven garment bag. The same Council advises against cedar closets and mothballs for shearling, and suggests professional cold storage over the warm months, since cool, humidity-controlled conditions slow the loss of the skin's natural oils.

If the coat is vintage

An older coat needs one extra check before anyone cleans it: the strength of the skin. Feel the underarms and the fold of the collar, where wear shows first. Leather that has become stiff and papery may have dry rot, and a specialist cleaner, LeatherCareUSA, notes that skin which tears like paper cannot be cleaned at all. Ask for an assessment first. Expect, too, that the yellowing of white or cream fleece with age is often permanent; cleaning brightens it but will not make it new.

Faux shearling is a different garment

A faux shearling coat is a pile textile on a fabric backing, so none of the leather rules apply. Follow its care label. It ages differently too: instead of stiffening like a skin, a faux pile mats and pills. If you are not sure which you own, the reverse tells you: genuine shearling is one skin with the wool growing from it. Our guide to the Penny Lane coat has a full genuine-versus-faux table, and Shearling vs Sheepskin explains the labels.