Hey,
well I have a buffaloo skin and it does need a torough cleaning after several years of hanging on the wall. is there a household product that I can use ? and how do I clean that rug?
I don't know if it mathers but this hide was imported from the us (so us tanning proces was used) since I live in Belgium, europe, I do not have any outlet store who can provide me with specific cleaning agents. I did ask a local taxidermist but my hide is to big for his cleaning machine. (he said the hides are cleaned in some sort of drum machine with wood chips?) another one told me to lay that rug in the fog now and then to revitilize it a bit? All I know is that this rug is supple as hell and I do want to keep it that way! so I guess champoo and water is a nono?
Thanks for any help, sure appreciate it.
Alain, Gent, Belgium, Europe.
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Use a good shampoo and most of all, a good hair conditioner. Once it's soaped down, rinse, condition it, and final rinse. Hang it up to drip dry and use an air compressor (or hair dryer if you have a couple days). Back brush the hair gently as you blow the water out. Continue till dry. Don't submerge the hide. It may be alum tanned or improperly neutralized which might make the hide fall to pieces.
Thanks George appreciate your help, gona try that.
Get it wet and you will loose the flexability in the hide if is not treated correctly after. What kind of buffalo and what kind of dirt? If you smoke I would suggest taking it to a fur company and getting it done. If it is just household dust you can blow it out if you have access to a compressor or vacuum it with a really sturdy one. Good rule of thumb is never get tanned hides wet unless you are going to stretch them or mount them.
I like it A LOT! and yes it has a combo of smoke (yeah, yeah! I know I don' smoke annymore!)and household dust, bit sticky to the touch.
as for what kind of buffalo, I have no idea! are you saying there is more then one kind? so back to square one! sigh.
north american bison, cape buffalo, water buffalo etc etc etc......is it big, fuzzy and brown? If so that is a bison. Introducing water and soap products can lead to bacterial growth.. Check out the tanning section and archives on cleaning tanned hides. I know when ever I wet a hide I then refridgerate it asap or stretch it or mount it.
OOh stupid me! yep it sure is an North American bison
And yes I have been to the archives untill my eyes popped! and what I found out is that apparently nobody knows! :-( I read all cleaning Q&A
I think I will try a moist washcloth and see if that helps, if it does not... well I don't know what to do next, I sure am reluctant to wash it with water and soap.I don't wanna risk damaging this expensive hide.
Thanks again
You need to get the loose dust out first. As I said before, blow it out or suck it out or do like the old women with rugs and hang it up and beat it. Water is not going to cut nicotine or grease. It does not hurt the hair to be damp, just the hide. You can blow dry the hair but just a fan will dry it out pretty quick. If you are going to try water make it hot and scrub hard, try small section at a time.