How to Clean Faux Fur

The great thing about contemporary faux furs is that they are hand washable.

BEFORE:
I hand-washed this fur purse in water and shampoo

Considering that this purse looked like a drowned rat (above), it dried out great and looks fantastic!

  I always err on the side of caution, however, and if I am unsure at all about how a faux fur, I always clean a small portion of the fur first.  Here are some general guidelines:

1)  I like to use gentle baby shampoo and wash the fur in the sink.  Remember, be very gentle with faux fur, do not scrub or rub the fur.  However, I've had success by running my fingers down the fur in the direction the fur goes naturally.

2)  Do not wring the fur out even if it's very wet.  You can take it outside and shake a lot of the water out. 

3)  In order to prevent water stains when drying, I like to lay the fur side up over a pole.  You can also pin up to dry.

4) Don't dry in direct sunlight.

5)  I hesitate to say this because I want you to be extremely cautious about is one--you can FLUFF your fake fur by putting it in the dryer on fluff, but NO HEAT. If you're not sure where this cycle is on your dryer, DON'T EVEN TRY THIS.  I have totally damaged fake furs in the dryer. 

6)  Sometimes the care tag on fake fur indicate 'dry clean only'....but I've had a lot of success with the above water method even so.  Remember, if you are unsure, test a small piece first. 

7)  Last, like real fur, your fake fur needs to breath when you are storing it. So don't store it in a closed plastic bag or bin but use a breathable cotton.

8)  If your fur is really dirty you may consider a dry cleaner as your only resort. Go to one that specializes in cleaning fake fur.

I washed the fake fur in this purse and it came out great:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64741793/cozy-bag-sea-wolf