how to clean faux fur

Photo by Jesus "CritiQ" Henriquez

Is your Faux fur coat or jacket looking a little worse for the wear? Has that fake fur hood been to one too many parties? It happens to all of us.

You had the time of your life at a music festival. Rocking out to your favorite artists while creating lasting memories with your crew. You're smiling from ear to ear, but your stuff looks like it barely survived the apocalypse.

While keeping you warm and cuddly, your faux fur coat took a beating. Dust storms, rain, body glitter and even sweat can dampen the fluff of faux fur. But don't worry we're here to help you rescue your favorite accessory.

If your beloved faux fur coat, jacket, vest, shawl, or hood needs some serious TLC (yes this article applies to any manner of faux fur items). Keep reading for our step by step guide on How to Clean Any Faux Fur (the following is for all faux fur garments regardless of the brand you own)

Does My Faux Fur Coat, Jacket, or VestNeed to Be Washed? And how often?

ALASKAN HAWK HOODED FAUX FUR VEST

In order to keep our beloved faux fur coat and garments in excellent shape for decades, we actually want to avoid washing it too often. What's too often? Great question... It actually depends on how often you wear your item or use your throw, and in what kind of environments your taking it into. For example, if you are around smoke often, you may have to wash it more frequently (say a few times a year), same goes if you have pets just drooling all over your cozy garments. However if you are only wearing your item on occasional nights out or for dinner parties (and not necessarily hitting the festival scene), then you can get away with washing your item once per year or even every few years.

Determining if it's time to give my faux fur garment a wash:

Now before you get out your cleaning supplies, pull out your faux fur coat, shawl, vest, and hood, to examine the damage (aka post party destruction). Considering faux fur does require some special care, it's important to follow these steps to ensure your faux fur coat or blanket lasts a lifetime!

Step 1 - Take a look at your faux fur garment. If it hasn't been to a dusty and debaucherous festival it may just need to be shaken out outside, and given a good combing. So once you've shaken your garment out, brush it with one of our specifically designed Spirithoods faux fur combs that was included with your order. You want to apply medium pressure when brushing.

Step 2 - If there is a lingering bonfire smell or other odor, get a fabric deodorizer on amazon like the one below and give it a few sprays while it's hanging outside.

Fabric Deodorizer Option

Step 3 - Lastly, hang it in a location indoors in an open space in the shade for a day or so. Note: Don't hang it in a cramped closet, in direct sunlight, or next to a heater). Ideally hang it in a place where nothing is touching it for a few days so it can breathe! Yes, faux fur needs to breathe :)

Step 4 -Time to max out. you are finished. your fake fur garment will now be ready for it's next outing.

Alternatively,

Yes... Yes it does need to be washed!

If your faux fur coat, jacket, or vest DOES need to be washed, here's how to do it!

Photo by <a href="https://www.pexels.com/@bui-huy-857169?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels">Bùi Huy </a>from <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-iphone-7-near-brown-clothes-hanger-1750027/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels">Pexels</a>

First let's look at how to Spot Clean Faux Fur Coats, Jackets, and Vests

Did you have a beverage mishap? A little spillage happens now and then. Try this spot cleaning method if there's only a small part of your faux fur jacket or coat that needs some love.

Using cold water only, dunk the spill into a bowl full of water. Slosh it around a bit and gently rub together the areas that need cleaning. Remove your item from the water and squeeze or press (do not wring it out). Get out as much water as you can. Then hang dry, brush and fluff to reshape the fur.

If you've tried both airing out and spot cleaning, with no luck — read on for the full spa treatment.

Never Use Heat—Ever!

Faux or fake fur is made from acrylic—which is a man made fiber. What happens when heat meets acrylic? It melts. This is why you should never (ever, ever, ever!) use hot water or put your faux fur coat in the dryer.

Heat will ruin the soft and fluffy fur of your faux fur coat, shawl, vest, or hood. You won't be able to revive it and you'll be sadder than a kid who drops his ice cream cone on a nice sunny day.

To repeat: Never use hot water. Never put faux fur in the dryer. Write that down. Memorize it. Get it tattooed on your arm.

Got it? Now you're ready to get your hands wet!

How to Wash your Faux Fur Coat, Jacket, or Vest by Hand:

Faux fur is a unique fabric, and as such if you want it to last the longest we always recommend washing it by hand. This sounds tedious but it's really not that difficult and is the best method if you want longevity out of your faux fur coat, jacket, or vest. So first up, hand washing:

Prepare — Take everything out of your pawkets, and secret zipper pocket (if it's a SpiritHood brand product).
Fill — Fill up a bowl, sink or bathtub with cool water. Most faux fur hoods and shawls can easily be washed in a bathroom or kitchen sink. If you've got a faux fur coat, jacket or vest — you'll want to use your bathtub.
Wash — Dunk your faux fur in the water. Swish it around. Prepare to be horrified by the amount of dirt that it releases. It's crazy how much dirt and dust particles can be hiding in your faux fur item.
Rinse — Continue handwashing. Slosh your faux fur coat, vest, shawl or hood around. Take it for a swim and let the dirt fall off. Empty and refill the sink or tub with fresh cold water. If you have any stains or visible spots, gently rub those areas together.
Squeeze — Once your faux fur coat, jacket, or vest is nice and clean, it's time to give it a squeeze. Use your muscles and gently, but forcefully, press or squeeze out the water but do not wring it out.. The water will make your faux fur coat, vest, shawl, or hood heavy. You want to get as much water out now before you hang it up. Concentrate on squeezing or pressing the water out of the bulkier areas of your garment.
Hang Dry — Now that you've squeezed out all the water that you can, it's time to hang dry. Hang your SpiritHood, faux fur coat, jacket, or vest in your bathroom, near an open window or outside (out of the direct sun). The more air circulating around your garment or blanket the faster it will dry. It may take a day or two. Check on it every few hours. Rotate the item to expose all sides. Place a fan nearby to help speed up the process.
Brush — Using a wide-toothed brush (like the one included with your SpiritHood purchase), brush the fur back in place while still wet. This helps the fur retain its natural shape. Once your coat, jacket, or vest is dry, give it another brushing to help fluff it up. Use your fingers to move the fur back into place.

To Soap or Not to Soap When Hand Washing?

Photo by Pixabay from Pixels of two rubber duckies in soap bath

You probably don't need to add any soap. The process of hand washing should remove most dirt. If you really want to use soap, make sure it's a light and natural soap. Avoid heavy detergents and bleach which can permanently damage your faux fur.

Use just a drop or two of a natural castile soap—like Dr. Bronner's. Add it to the sink full of water first. Be sure to rinse your fur piece out thoroughly during the Wash and Rinse step. You don't want any lingering soap particles clinging to the fur.

Can I wash my Faux Fur Coat, Jacket, or Vest in a Washing Machine?

As most of you know by now we highly recommend hand washing your faux fur coats, vests, shawls, and hoods. However, technically if you have the right equipment, you can stick your faux fur item in a washing machine (Never the Dryer). That said there are some extremely important things to consider when washing your faux fur coat, jacket, vest, shawl, or hood in the machine.

The Washing Machine - What type of washing machine you use matters. We recommend a High Efficiency washing machine that is 2019 or newer, as the technology in most newer washing machines has a gentle function that is actually gentle. If you wish to use a detergent we recommend that you use a very mild and gentle liquid detergent. We do not recommend using a public laundry facility as industrial machines are not sensitive enough to prevent damage to faux fur. We also do not recommend using your apartments washing machine as they are also likely to cause damage to your faux fur coat, vest, shawl, or hood.If your faux fur coat happens to be made out of 100% polyester, a standard machine should work just fine.
Prepare - Take everything out of your pawkets and secret zipper pocket (if it's a SpiritHood brand product).
Protect the Environment- We strongly recommend buying the Guppy Friend Washing bag to throw your garment into while washing. This bag prevents micro plastics from going into the ocean! Since you only need to wash your item every once in a blue moon, this bag is perfect for protecting our oceans. (We are currently working on developing a larger version of this wash bag to fit our garments, as soon as we have information we'll let you know!). Follow the directions when washing your garments and using the guppy friend wash bag!Link to purchase: https://guppyfriend.us/products/guppyfriend-washing-bag
Throw it in the Washing Machine on Cold— Run on the gentlest cycle possible - cold water only! Once finished gently but forcibly squeeze or press (do not wring) out any excess water in the tub and hang dry only. Whatever you do, DON'T PUT FAUX FUR IN THE DRYER!
Hang Dry — Now that you've squeezed out all the water that you can, it's time to hang dry. Hang your faux fur coat or jacket in your bathroom, near an open window or outside (out of the direct sun). The more air circulating around your faux fur coat, jacket, vest, shawl, or hood the faster it will dry. It may take a day or two. Check on it every few hours. Rotate the item to expose all sides. Place a fan nearby to help speed up the process.
Brush — Using a wide-toothed brush (like the one included with your SpiritHood purchase), brush the fur back in place while still wet. This helps the fur retain its natural shape. Once your coat, jacket, or vest is dry, give it another brushing to help fluff it up. Use your fingers to move the fur back into place.

Keep Your Faux Fur Fluffy Faux Ever

WOLVERINE HOODED FAUX FUR COAT

Follow these instructions on how to clean faux fur and you'll always have a fresh and fluffy faux fur coat, throw, blanket or hood. Remember to never put fake fur in the dryer. Only use cool water and a light, natural soap when washing your faux hood, coat, vest, or throw.

It's time to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty — errr clean! Treat your SpiritHood or other faux fur garment like a fine cashmere sweater and it will last you for years!

PRO TIP: Always hang your Coats, Jackets, Vest, Hoods, or Shawls in a closet with space between your faux fur and other items. Smashing your clothes together against your faux fur coats and garments degrades the fluffy appearance of your garment. Faux fur needs to breathe!