What is a Medical Sheepskin ?
Medical shearling sheepskin may, at first glance, appear to be a very similar product to a sheared sheepskin decor rug. The primary difference between these two products are the wool density and the tanning methods that the medical sheepskins must adhere to.
Wool Density: Medical sheepskins are specially selected for their high wool density and offer substantially more fibres per square inch than decorative sheepskin pelts. The best quality Medical Sheepskins are always made from Australian origin skins. While New Zealand sheepskins and hides from around the globe may appear very similar in length, softness, and feel; Australian sheep have denser wool and heavier leather and are always preferred for the highest quality medical sheepskin rugs and products. We only import Australian medical sheepskins for this reason. Wool is trimmed to 30mm to reduce matting and promote airflow through the wool fibres. Clipped wool also makes for easy cleaning and care of a medical sheepskin.
The leather side of a medical sheepskin is also different to a standard decor rug. The Australian leather is thicker and heavier than sheep from other parts of the world. The leather is able to withstand commercial washing at high temperatures. Standard medical sheepskins are washed at 40 degrees Celsius. High Temperature medical sheepskins can be washed at 70 degrees Celsius for 8 minutes. This high temperature is important for disinfection of the wool and leather.
Wool Density: Medical sheepskins are specially selected for their high wool density and offer substantially more fibres per square inch than decorative sheepskin pelts. The best quality Medical Sheepskins are always made from Australian origin skins. While New Zealand sheepskins and hides from around the globe may appear very similar in length, softness, and feel; Australian sheep have denser wool and heavier leather and are always preferred for the highest quality medical sheepskin rugs and products. We only import Australian medical sheepskins for this reason. Wool is trimmed to 30mm to reduce matting and promote airflow through the wool fibres. Clipped wool also makes for easy cleaning and care of a medical sheepskin.
The leather side of a medical sheepskin is also different to a standard decor rug. The Australian leather is thicker and heavier than sheep from other parts of the world. The leather is able to withstand commercial washing at high temperatures. Standard medical sheepskins are washed at 40 degrees Celsius. High Temperature medical sheepskins can be washed at 70 degrees Celsius for 8 minutes. This high temperature is important for disinfection of the wool and leather.