Caring for fur products at home is not easy.
The washing result is in most cases unpredictable. Faux or natural fur may fade, become discolored, and lose its density and former softness.
Only knowing the secrets of washing fur from a jacket or down jacket at home will help you avoid damage to the product and costs for dry cleaning services.
Preparation
You can refresh your fur collar at home. The main thing is to comply with certain conditions of the preparatory stage:
Before washing be sure to:
- remove the removable collar from the jacket;
- determine the type of fur (artificial or natural);
- carefully study the information on the manufacturer’s label about the temperature conditions and special cleaning conditions of the product;
- Before washing, gently shake the edge on the collar.
Washing a down jacket at home
The choice of washing method depends on the type of edge. In order to determine whether faux or natural fur was used during tailoring, it is necessary to examine the underside of the collar. On the synthetic material, thread overflow is visible on the reverse side.
If the edge is artificial
Hand washing will help refresh a long-pile faux fur collar.
The technology is simple and clear:
- Pour water into a container of suitable size, the temperature of which does not exceed 40C.
- We dilute liquid powder or washing gel in water.
- Soak the fur collar in a basin for thirty minutes.
- Gently rub soap foam into the long pile.
- We rinse the edge in plenty of water (cool).
- We take the product out of the water and place it on a horizontal stand and leave it for ten minutes.
- After the water has drained, gently blot the edge with a towel.
Attention! The long faux fur collar should not be twisted.
Dry the product away from heating devices, laid out on a horizontal surface. After the edge has dried, the long pile is carefully combed with a comb with rounded teeth.
For faux fur collars with short, thick pile, machine wash is more appropriate. Before loading the item into the machine, check the label on the possibility of automatic washing.
Algorithm of actions:
- The edge is soaked in a bowl of warm soapy water for fifteen minutes.
- After lightly squeezing the product with your hands, it is placed in the washing machine. For washing, choose a delicate cycle, using gentle liquid detergents for silk, wool and delicate fabrics.
- Wring out the collar by hand, blotting it well with a towel.
Reference! White faux fur will look like new if you wipe it with a sponge soaked in water and lemon juice before washing.
If natural
You can preserve the shine and attractive appearance of natural fur trim by using only the manual washing method.
Algorithm of actions:
- Liquid detergent for delicate fabrics or shampoo is diluted in a bowl of water.
- Use a soft sponge to rub soap foam into the edge.
- Wipe the collar again with a clean sponge.
- Lay the edge on a horizontal surface and leave until completely dry.
- Comb the villi with a sparse comb (preferably wooden).
Some folk methods will help remove old stains from natural fur
- A solution of water (one glass is enough), hydrogen peroxide (1 tsp) and ammonia (two drops) is poured into a spray bottle. Spray the solution over the collar and then allow it to dry. The dry collar is carefully combed with a comb.
- A mink collar is cleaned using semolina or starch. They are scattered onto the pile and lightly rubbed. After five minutes, the edge is shaken and combed.
- Arctic fox fur can be refreshed and cleaned with a sponge dipped in a vinegar solution.
- A collar made of astrakhan fur or rabbit skin will acquire its original appearance if you cover it with bran heated in the oven.
- Refined gasoline will help remove greasy stains. The stain is carefully wiped with a sponge soaked in gasoline, then with a clean cloth, after which the edge is combed.
Attention! If you are not sure that the chosen method will not damage the product, it is better to seek help from professionals using dry cleaning services.
For more information about cleaning natural fur, watch the video:
Dry cleaning the collar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVQl5Rn0uNc
To clean the fur dry, it will take about ten minutes.
To do this, you need to take ordinary starch, semolina, talc, or any other small substance that absorbs fat and moisture well.
Pour the powder into your hands and begin to rub into your fur. The croup will gradually begin to darken, while the collar will become cleaner and cleaner.
There is no need to rinse anything after such cleaning; just thoroughly rub off the abrasive and comb the fur.
Washing a fur collar at home is quite easy, just follow the above rules.
It is not recommended to wash natural fur, as well as several types of artificial fur, so that the material does not lose its original appearance. An alternative to wet cleaning is dry cleaning, which you can do with the help of improvised means.
Starch
The procedure is suitable for cleaning removable collars. Processing order:
- Unfasten the fur from the collar.
- Place the fur piece in a plastic bag.
- Pour in the starch and shake the bag thoroughly.
- Without removing the bag, scrub the surface of the fur with a brush.
- Remove the product from the bag and knock out the remaining starch from the pile.
After the procedure, be sure to ventilate the collar in the fresh air.
Bran
Rye or wheat bran is suitable for the procedure.
- Heat 300–350 g of bran in a frying pan.
- Place the fur on a clean cloth.
- Sprinkle the pile with hot bran.
- Rub the mixture into your palms, moving against the pile.
After treatment, comb out the fur with a wide-toothed wooden comb.
A mixture of salt and semolina is suitable for cleaning short-pile collars. Mix the products in equal proportions and apply to the surface. Clean the pile with your fingers or a brush, and then remove any remaining substances by shaking out the product. Semolina with salt perfectly absorbs dirt and dust. You can see this when you shake out the substances from the collar. Repeat the procedure until the substances removed from the pile are clean.
Before the procedure, slightly heat the sand in a clean frying pan. Apply heated sand to the undercoat and rub it into the pile in a circular motion. The substance will absorb dust and greasy deposits. At the last stage, brush off any remaining sand from the collar.
Be sure to sift the flour several times before using. Next, follow these steps:
- Brush the fur thoroughly.
- Sprinkle its entire surface with flour.
- Using a brush, distribute the flour, as if combing the fur against the lint.
- Using a back and forth motion with the brush, rub the flour into the base of the pile.
- After 5 minutes, carefully beat the flour out of the fur.
After the procedure, comb the pile with a comb.
Regular baby powder without additional impurities and oils is suitable for removing greasy stains and dust from the surface of the collar. Cover the entire surface with talc and rub thoroughly into the base of the pile. Leave the powder on the surface for 10-15 minutes, and then shake off any remaining residue from the collar. You can completely remove powder residue from the fur using cold air from a hairdryer.
Is it possible to put a permanent fur collar in the washing machine?
If the fur is sewn to the collar of a leather jacket, there are not many options for refreshing it quickly and without loss. The collar sewn to the product can only be cleaned manually , very carefully, avoiding contact of moisture with the skin. For those who are not confident in their actions, the right decision is to dry-clean a leather jacket with fur.
You can tidy up a down jacket with a sewn-on fur collar in the washing machine, choosing a delicate cycle and using liquid detergents.
By adding two or three tennis balls to the drum of the washing machine, you can avoid the formation of lumps of unstraightened fluff in the jacket after washing.
The easiest way to refresh the fur is on the collar of your parka. The product can be washed by hand or in a machine. Parkas are washed at a temperature not exceeding 40 C, choosing a mode for synthetic fabrics, using soft (liquid) detergents.
Spin mode and automatic drying are disabled. Parkas made from membrane fabric are washed only by hand, using special powders for this type of fabric.
Is it possible to wash a fur collar in a machine?
It is strictly prohibited to wash natural fur in an automatic machine. The best option would be dry cleaning of the pile. If wet treatment is unavoidable, clean the surface with a sponge dipped in soapy water.
Faux fur is more resistant to wet processing. The material can be washed by hand, and in some cases even in a machine. In this case, select only the delicate mode in cold water without spinning, and add only special wool washing products or shampoo.
Drying
After cleaning the fur collar, it must be thoroughly dried . This is a very important point, since moisture remaining in the fur fibers can cause an unpleasant odor and damage to the product.
Dry the fur collar in a darkened room. Direct sunlight contributes to loss of color and brittleness of the villi. Under no circumstances should fur be split on a radiator or other heat sources or ironed.
Advice! Pre-blotting the collar with a towel will help speed up the drying process.
Review of effective cleaning products
Special products for removing stains from fur products give good results:
- Insaf - suitable for any pile and wool. Used for prevention at home, preserves the original color of the fur collar, its appearance, protects against moths, repels dirt, works as an antistatic agent;
- Lival Licker Konz – makes fur soft, fresh, fluffy, silky;
- Fur Fresh Salamander is an aerosol that adds shine to tired items and stains faded fur items. Used at home only outdoors, toxic;
- Terre de Sommieres Powder – removes greasy stains at home, the product is expensive, in the form of powder;
- Ultra Finish Milk - prevents hair from sticking together, cleans the pile, and returns lost gloss and shine to it.
Processing Tips
To prevent the edge of a winter jacket or down jacket from turning into a shapeless piece of fur, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- Fur (both artificial and natural) should not be exposed to high temperatures. Fur collars are washed only at a temperature of 30-40C.
- When washing, fur should not be wrinkled or rubbed. All movements must be extremely careful.
- The edges of jackets and down jackets must not be treated with bleaching or chlorine-containing products.
General recommendations
Before washing the collar of a down jacket, it is necessary to prepare the product; just because of one fur, you should not wash the entire thing.
Preparatory work is carried out as follows:
- The jacket collar is carefully unfastened from the entire garment.
- Next is to find out what type of fur we will clean. How can you determine this? The base will tell you whether it is natural or artificial; natural fur will have leather, while artificial fur will have a fabric base.
- Before carrying out work, carefully study all available information from the manufacturer on the tag.
- Be sure to shake out the decorative element and use a vacuum cleaner with a brush.
Depending on the quality of the fur, further cleaning is carried out in different ways. Is it possible to wash fur from a down jacket in a machine? How to wash a fur collar? We will look for answers to these questions further.
Is fur afraid of water?
First you need to figure out what kind of material you have to deal with. Faux fur products withstand various deformations, tests, and washing. Therefore, they can be washed in any convenient way. The most important thing is not to overdo it with the water temperature. Otherwise, there is a risk that the fibers will become deformed and lose their smoothness and shine.
To properly wash natural fur at home, you need to thoroughly prepare. Such items of clothing are easily damaged beyond repair. This is due to some production features:
- When preparing the fabric for sewing fur clothing, the animal's natural lubricant is partially washed away, which prevents them from getting wet. Thanks to this lubricant, the animal does not get wet for a long time in the rain. The main task of the manufacturer is to preserve this natural segment as much as possible. The more careful production is, the more complex the equipment will be required and the more expensive the cost of clothing will be.
- Tension of the pile base. The skin under the fur is stretched with special force. This is done in saving trees to use less material to produce more products. Weakened skin under the influence of moisture after drying is easily deformed and loses its appearance.
Thus, in order to clean a fur product made from natural linen and not spoil it, you should approach the procedure with maximum responsibility.