Recommended Cleaning Supplies

• Folex Carpet Cleaner

• Laundry detergent for synthetic fabrics (NOT Woolite)

  • Hex is great!​

• Alcohol cleaning spray (for between deep cleans, ex. at events)

  • 50% rubbing alcohol/50% water​

• Portable carpet cleaner that does NOT heat water (ex. Bissell Green Machine)

• Fan (box fans that can be rotated are best or fursuit drying fans)

• Laundry drying rack

• Mesh laundry bags

• Metal toothed comb

• Slicker brush with plastic bristles

 

Importance of Water Temperature

When washing any fursuit parts, use cold or lukewarm water only. Faux fur is made from plastic fibers: if high heat is applied to those fibers they can crimp and distort, causing permanent damage. The only way to completely repair heat damaged fur is to replace it, so pay very close attention to your water temperature when washing! If you’re not sure if a certain temperature is safe, test it with a scrap piece of faux fur.

 

Removing Stains

If there are areas with deep stains or heavy dirt, comb these areas with a slicker brush then rinse with water. Gently agitate the fabric with your fingers to help loosen any debris. Next, apply a liberal amount of Folex to the area and scrub! You should see any stains disappear very quickly. I like to rinse the Folex out of the fabric and reexamine the area. If I still see a small amount of the stain, I’ll reapply Folex and scrub again until the area is completely clean.

 

For very stubborn stains, you can try Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover. Follow the instructions on the package for best results. I always rinse these solutions out of the fabric, even though you technically don’t have to. For scents that you can’t get out, try adding Nature’s Miracle Laundry Boost to soapy water when washing.

 

Handpaws

If you have stuffed handpaws, remove the finger pillows first. Pretreat any stains with Folex or your detergent of choice. Keep the paws right side out and put them and the pillows into a small mesh laundry bag. You can wash them in a washing machine with your regular laundry but use COLD WATER ONLY. After washing, gently brush the fur in the correct direction and hang to dry. Finger pillows can be dried in a dryer with any temperature. Do not put faux fur in a dryer.

 

Feetpaws

Use a portable carpet cleaner such as a Bissell Green Machine (make sure your machine doesn’t heat the water as it may be too hot for faux fur) or wash in a sink or bathtub. You can use any carpet cleaner or laundry detergent that is approved for synthetic fabrics. Wash the inside and outside of the feet with soapy water, then rinse with clean water. Squish out any excess water (especially from the toes), then gently brush the fur. Air dry only.

         *FOR MAGNETIC SOLES

Wash fabric bottoms with your favorite laundry detergent or carpet cleaner and rinse thoroughly. Use a portable carpet cleaner to remove excess water or squish out as much water as you can then air dry. Wash rubber bottoms with any kind of soap (I use dish soap) and scrub until all dirt and debris is removed. Wipe with a towel and then air dry.

 

Heads

Do not completely submerge your head in water if you have electronics or if it was made with an expanding foam base; wash the surface of these heads with a portable carpet cleaner or a wet towel. If your head was made with upholstery foam, you may completely submerge it in water in a sink or bathtub. Once cleaned, rinse out all of the soap and cleaning solutions. Be careful around the eyes and do not poke them in, however they can get wet without being damaged. Squish out as much water from the head as possible, then keep your head on a fan until it is completely dry.

 

Cleaning at Events

It’s very important to disinfect your costume parts while at an event and to brush all parts after wearing them.

 

For heads – Remove batteries from any electronics. Remove any magnetic parts such as tongues, eyelids, horns etc. Lightly spray the inside with an alcohol spray, wipe it out with a clean cloth and leave the neck open to dry. Do NOT spray eyes with alcohol.

For hands – Remove finger pillows. Lightly spray the pillows and inside of the hands with alcohol spray and leave open for drying.

For feet – Remove magnetic bottoms and rinse down rubber bottoms. Spray the inside of the feet with alcohol spray.

For bodies – Turn the top half of the body inside out. Spray arm pits, crotch and any areas where you sweat the most with alcohol spray and then hang up to dry. Check often for smell and respray if smells persist.