Mink fur is considered not only one of the most beautiful, but also wear-resistant. However, over time, such a fur product takes on a sloppy, worn and dull appearance. Fur hats especially suffer from various contaminants. If you are interested in learning how to clean a mink hat, we recommend reading our article.
Features of cleaning white mink hats
Fur products of light colors require special care. To clean them, you can use ordinary household products that every housewife has.
You can effectively clean a white mink hat at home using talcum powder and starch. These products remove grease and dust. It is necessary to sprinkle the fur with talcum powder or starch and carefully rub the hat with movements as if washing it by hand. Then leave the headdress for several hours. During this time, the cleaner will completely absorb all the dirt.
You can clean the product from residues using a clothes brush. You can also go over the hat with a vacuum cleaner turned on at minimum power.
Clean, dry fur should be carefully combed with a special brush. After all these procedures, the product will look like new.
Another effective way to clean white fur is with bran. You need to place the bran in a saucepan or metal bowl and heat it over the fire, stirring constantly. Grind the headdress as in the previous method. Comb out the cuts with a wooden comb.
Washing and drying methods
The washing method directly depends on the type of material of the product. Quality items have special labels that tell you in detail how to wash and dry this item of clothing:
- gentle washing (water temperature at the required degrees, without strong mechanical treatment, slow centrifuge speed during spinning);
- delicate (lots of water, quick rinse, minimum mechanical processing);
- hand wash only (no spin);
- washing with water of a certain temperature (30, 40, 50 degrees or more).
You also need to dry things according to certain rules, which are indicated on the same labels. There are several types of drying things.
- wringing and drying in a washing machine;
- dry at the specified temperature (low, medium or high);
- gentle spinning and drying;
- delicate squeezing and drying;
- vertical drying;
- on a horizontal surface;
- no spin;
- drying the product in the shade.
Wet cleaning a white fur hat
The most frequently asked question among owners of fur hats is how to clean a light mink hat at home using water. Wet cleaning of fur products can be carried out using washing powder. The required amount of wool detergent or hair shampoo should be dissolved in warm water. Beat the solution with your hands until foam forms. Collect foam on a foam sponge and apply evenly to the entire fur. Movements must be careful so as not to damage the villi.
After processing the product, the foam must be removed using clean water and a washcloth. Place the wet cap on a glass jar turned upside down so that it does not lose its shape. Leave to dry at room temperature away from the sun and heat sources.
As soon as the fur dries, it should be combed with a sparse brush.
Headdress with fur pompom
Popular knitted hats with fur pom-poms also require care, but since you cannot wash a hat with a fur pom-pom, you need to detach the pom-pom and clean it separately.
In high-quality copies, a function for removing the pompom from the product is provided for this purpose. Fastening with special ribbons will help solve the issue of washing; if the pompom is firmly sewn, you can cut it and make the fastening yourself by sewing a ribbon to it and securing it. A pompom made from arctic fox fur is cleaned using a solution: 500 ml of water, 1 tsp. ammonia and 3 tsp. salt. The fur is thoroughly blotted and combed during the drying process.
The rabbit pom-pom is sprayed with hydrogen peroxide or moistened with vinegar (this will remove yellowness) and combed out thoroughly.
Cleaning fur hats from unpleasant odors
In fur hats, the lining is most often soiled. It comes into contact with the skin, hair and absorbs sweat and subcutaneous fat released by the body. The bacteria they contain instantly multiply, causing the lining to quickly acquire an unpleasant odor.
There are two ways to clean the inside of a mink hat at home:
- Carefully flog the lining, wash it and iron it. Then sew it to the fur in its pure form.
- If it is difficult to tear off the lining, then you can try cleaning it with a washcloth soaked in soapy warm water. After the procedure, the lining should be wiped with a dry cloth to remove excess moisture.
A solution made from ammonia or salt effectively removes unpleasant odors. Pour half a liter of water into a container and dissolve a teaspoon of one of the indicated products in it. Wipe the hat with the solution. Remove excess moisture with a towel and let dry naturally.
Removing stains from mink fur
The worst thing is when various household stains appear on a white fur product. The fur can be dirty due to carelessness with fatty foods or cosmetics. However, don’t get too upset and run to the dry cleaner. You can remove stains at home using cheap improvised means.
- You can deal with many stains on light furs by wiping them with a washcloth and a solution prepared from 400 ml of warm water, a couple of tablespoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of 3% ammonia. After finishing cleaning, the products are additionally wiped with a clean, damp cotton cloth. This is necessary to completely remove any remaining ammonia solution.
- Fresh greasy stains should be generously sprinkled with any available absorbent: starch, talcum powder or baby powder. After some time, the powder is shaken off, and the pile is additionally wiped with a sponge dipped in a foamy soap solution. If it is not possible to completely remove the greasy trace, then it is treated with purified gasoline.
- Highly purified gasoline is mixed with starch to a thick consistency. This composition is used to treat greasy stains. When the mixture is completely dry, it is brushed off.
- You can clean a mink from stains by wiping them with cotton pads and a product made from 200 ml of water, 50 ml of alcohol and 30 g of salt. Having finished cleaning, pass over the pile with a damp rag or napkins and additionally treat it with glycerin (a couple of drops are needed) for shine.
How to clean stains from a fur hat
Without resorting to dry cleaning, you can get rid of stains on fur using household products. Experienced housewives share tips on how to clean a mink hat at home yourself.
- You can remove yellowness with hydrogen peroxide. Add a tablespoon of peroxide to a full glass of water. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray over the contaminated area. To enhance the effect, dry the hat in the sun.
- To remove greasy stains on fur, use vodka or medical alcohol.
- A saline solution gets rid of old stains. To prepare it, you need to mix medical alcohol and salt in a 2:1 ratio in a glass. Apply the solution to the stain with a brush and wash off with a washcloth soaked in water.
- A mixture of aviation gasoline and starch removes yellowness. The product must be left on the fur until the smell of gasoline disappears, and then knock the hat out with your hands. If yellowness still remains, you should repeat the procedure again.
Salt and ammonia are effective means for cleaning fur.
Another option that allows you to wash a light-colored mink hat is to treat it with ammonia and regular salt. To do this, mix a spoonful of salt with a small amount of ammonia in half a liter of water. After this, use a cotton swab to treat the fur in the direction of its pile. Next, the hat should be moistened with a sponge and then wiped with a regular cotton towel.
When processing is completed, the hat must be dried. As when using other options, in this case it is necessary to dry fur products in natural conditions.
Important Tips
Before cleaning a mink hat at home, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the following tips:
- When using natural products for cleaning, it is important to clean them thoroughly. If any remaining starch or bran remains in the headdress, moths may settle in it.
- Do not soak a mink hat. Moisture can cause the core to become hard, and the product itself may shrink in size.
- A damp fur hat should not be dried with a hairdryer.
- When using perfume or other aerosol cosmetics, you should try not to spray it on your hat. Their composition may leave oil stains on the fur, and the fibers may lose their natural shine.
- Stains should be removed while they are still fresh. Old stains are much more difficult to remove.
- Cologne should not be used to clean white fur items. After drying, yellow stains may remain on the fur.
These are basic recommendations on how to clean a mink hat at home. Features of cleaning natural fur depend on its color. The lighter the mink, the more dirt is visible on it.
Video: how to clean winter hats
Indeed, to clean mink hats with their own hands, housewives use starch, bran, talc, salt, sawdust, alcohol, shampoo and much more. Here is an example of how these substances affect a contaminated hat:
- starch – collects dust and dirt;
- salt – removes greasy stains;
- alcohol – also saves from fat;
- shampoo – removes dirt;
- talc - whitens the hat and removes dirty particles.
As soon as the owner notices that the hat has lost its shine, the pile is not as silky as it was when purchased, a yellowish tint has appeared, it is necessary to start cleaning the hat. The sooner you start this, the faster the process will move.
There are several ways to deal with stains on a fur hat.
The fastest and easiest way is dry cleaning. Dry pile is covered with some substance (talcum powder, starch, etc.), rubbed with hands, as if hand washing, and combed in the direction of the pile.
For older and more serious stains, only a damp wash will help. To do this, use a soap solution or shampoo. For washing, dilute the solution and apply it with a brush or sponge to the surface of the hat. After wet cleaning, the remaining solution should be removed with a dry cloth and the hat should be dried in a ventilated area. Using radiators or heaters for drying is strictly prohibited, as the fur will fade.
If alcohol is used for cleaning, for example, for greasy stains, then you should not worry about the smell. The alcohol disappears quickly. It is necessary to make an alcohol solution and apply it to the stain with a cotton pad or cloth, and gently rub the area.
Is it possible to wash a mink hat?
You cannot wash a fur hat by completely immersing it in water or in a washing machine. Complete wetness can cause roughening of the skin, and the hat will then lose its appearance and shine. It will be extremely difficult to dry it.
Proper storage of mink hats
In order for a fur headdress to retain its original appearance for a long time, it is important not only to know how to clean a mink hat at home, but also to follow the storage rules:
- A clean product should be stored on a cabinet shelf. You should definitely put a moth repellent near your hat.
- Under no circumstances should mink hats be stored in boxes or drawers. A closed and poorly ventilated place creates favorable conditions for moths.
- Frequently ventilate the closet in which fur hats are stored. It should be dry there.
- The place where natural fur hats are placed should be protected from sunlight.
- After each wearing, the hat should be placed in such a way that there is air access to its inside.
