Shearling is the sheepskin obtained from a young lamb. The wool is shorn to a uniform length, but it is left on the hide, which is tanned with the wool on it. The tanned side is worn on the outside and the wool on the inside, which makes shearling jackets extra warm and rugged. Any professional dry cleaning service will clean your shearling jacket and may even remove dirt or stains. However, if your jacket has been lightly soiled, you may want to avoid the dry cleaning bill and tackle it yourself. Here’s a basic guide that should help you care for your jacket so that it lasts a lifetime:

• Make sure you clean your shearling jacket before you store it away in the spring. Never store it with stains. As a good rule of thumb, give it at least a couple of cleanings a year, so that there’s no dirt buildup. If you let it get very dirty, you’ll have no choice but to take it to the cleaners.

• Use a suede stone or cleaning brush to scour off dirty patches or scuff marks.

• Don’t forget the inside of the jacket. The wool inside must also be brushed with a dry rag.

• Any tough stains in the wool lining should be tackled with a clean, damp rag. If rubbing with water is not enough, use a little wool cleaner in the water. That should get rid off harder-to-remove stains.

• Let your shearling jacket air dry. Turn it inside out if the wool lining is too wet.

• Never, ever, wash a shearling jacket in a washing machine, and never put it in the dyer. It will most certainly ruin it. Don’t put your jacket near a fire or heater to get it to dry more quickly because the heat will also damage the leather.

• Don’t store your shearling jacket in plastic. Use a cloth garment bag instead, or store it in a cardboard box. Use a sturdy hanger and let it hang loose and naturally.

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Shearling jackets are luxury garments. They keep us warm, but allow us to do it in style. This is why they also come with a hefty price tag. If you give your jacket the proper care, however, your investment will stay with you for the rest of your life.