• Laundry detergent for synthetic fabrics (NOT Woolite)
• Alcohol cleaning spray (fursuitspray) (for between deep cleans, ex. at events)
  • 50% rubbing alcohol/50% water​
• Portable carpet cleaner machine (ex. Bissell)
• Fan (fans that can be rotated are best or fursuit drying fans)
• Laundry drying rack
• Mesh laundry bags
• 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 detergent to the area and scrub! You should see any stains disappear very quickly. I like to rinse the detergent out of the fabric and reexamine the area. If I still see a small amount of the stain, I’ll reapply detergent and scrub again until the area is completely clean.

Handpaws

Pretreat any stains with your detergent of choice. Keep the paws right side out and put them   into a small mesh laundry bag. You can wash them in a washing machine with your regular laundry but use COLD WATER ONLY AND NO FABRIC SOFTNER After washing, gently brush the fur in the correct direction and hang to dry. Do not put faux fur in a dryer.

Feetpaws

Use a portable carpet cleaner such as a Bissell (make sure the water you insert is cold) 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 

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. 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.

Bodies
Turn the body inside out remove any stuffing in the legs or other places, zip up the zipper. You can machine or hand wash your body in the bathtub (tho we do recommend a washing machine). Use a cold water and diligent cycle with little tumbling. Wash normally do not use fabric softener. After washing turn back to the fur side lay your body on a drying rack DO NOT HANG WHEN VERY WET it can cause the fabric to warp. Use a fan to speed up drying and crush your body from time to time while drying. 

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

For feet – 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