Fur & Care

CLEANING & CARE

Always store your fur garments in cold storage when you are done wearing them for the season or not using them. An Authorized Furcare SpecialistSM is equipped with temperature, humidity, and light-controlled storage facilities to protect your fur, keeping it from drying out, oxidizing and prematurely aging your garment.

Have your fur cleaned annually by an Authorized Furcare Specialist, never a dry cleaner. Your fur may not look dirty but it is important to remove small abrasive dirt particles and chemicals and keep it soft.

Have small rips or tears repaired immediately by your Authorized Furcare Specialist. This will prevent more expensive repairs later.

Always hang your fur on a broad-shoulder hanger, never a wire hanger. Allow enough space so that your fur is not crushed.
Never hang your fur in bags of any type. Plastic or rubber-lined bags prevent air from circulating, which can dry out the leather. Bags (even cloth bags) can also cause wear and broken hairs over time where the bag rests against the fur.

Do not store your fur in a cedar closet. Cedarwood absorbs moisture which can dry your fur out. And cedar closets do not protect from dust, dirt, and insect damage.

Do not store your fur with mothballs. Mothballs react with moisture in the air to produce a gas that acts as a fumigant. This chemical reaction can cause irreparable damage to your fur (not to mention a lingering odor).

Avoid spraying perfume, hairspray or other chemicals on your fur. The alcohol content in these products will dry the leather and stiffen the guard hairs.
If your fur gets wet shake it out and hangs it to dry in a well-ventilated room. Avoid direct heat or radiators, which can damage both fur and leather. If your fur is soaked through taking it immediately to your Authorized Furcare Specialist for proper treatment.

One of the beauties of fur is that it can be repaired or remodeled. Your Authorized Furcare Specialist can find matching fur and make any repairs – or they can help you remodel it into fresh, new fashion.

FUR CLEANING

Have your furs cleaned once every year while it is spending the summer months in cold storage.

Clean it a second time during the winter season if you wear it a lot or it is often exposed to smoke, hairspray, makeup or perfumes. When you have your furs cleaned, take them only to an Authorized Furcare Specialist or QUALIFIED furrier.

Fur cleaning is like no other cleaning process. It is highly advisable not take them to a drycleaner. Too many times do people end up with a destroyed fur coat and in a legal dispute with a business that was unqualified to service their fur to begin with. Authorized furcare specialists use equipment and materials specifically designed for fur, as well as having extensive process knowledge and skills not possessed by people or businesses that do not specialize in furs.

Furs cannot be dry-cleaned and never put them in a clothes washer or dryer ever!

TYPES OF FUR

Fur has been valued for its comfort and beauty by people all over the world. With a rich ceremonial and fashion history, fur types have personalities as varied and unique as the countries and cultures that have nurtured them.

Beaver

Semi-aquatic builder of dams and certainly one of Canada’s favorite animal icons! Natural beaver has very long, lustrous hair, but sheared beaver is also a favorite with designers who create elaborate, surface effects of varying color and pattern.

Chinchilla

Originally from South America, but now farm-raised in both North and South America and in Europe, chinchilla has always had snob appeal, though it is also quite fragile. It’s very silky (in fact no fur is softer) and is mainly grey to slate blue.

Fox

The majority of fox fur sold in North America is farm-raised (often from Scandinavia), and is available in the widest range of natural colors of any fur, apart from mink, including silver, crystal blue, red, grey and white. Running neck and neck with mink in the popularity race, this luxurious fur makes an ideal trim for collars, cuffs, wraps and stoles.

Lamb

Lamb is the chameleon of fur with a host of personalities. The queen of lamb is broadtail: of Russian origin, it is sleek, lightweight, shiny and flat, with a slight wave, like fine moiré fabric. Mongolian is an extroverted fur that is both longhaired and curly. Often white, its silky hair is frequently dyed in a kaleidoscope of hues. Mouton pelts are sheared closely for a soft, thick flat fur. Persian lamb is farmed in both Asia and South Africa and pelts are prized for their soft, wavy curls with natural colors of black, brown and grey. Shearling is natural lamb pelts with the leather side sueded or leatherized and worn on the outside, and the curly fur worn as a lining.

Mink

Mink has never been knocked off its pedestal as the all-time diva of furs. Soft and lightweight with lustrous guard hair and dense, soft undertur, it is primarily farm-raised. Female pelts are smaller in size and have a softer, silkier feel than the larger male pelts. Mink is available in a wide range of natural colors and may be sheared for a sporty, casual look. It is a very durable fur despite its luxurious look.

Rabbit

Rabbit generally has medium length guard hair in a variety of natural colors and is often sheared or grooved. While not very durable, this is a very reasonably priced fur.

Raccoon

Long gray/black guard hair with silvery tips over a woolly, dense undertur makes it a very durable fur. Finn raccoon or Asiatic raccoon has long, thick tan guard hair with black tips and dense underfur.

Sable

Russian sable is still the most prized fur in the world, renowned for its legendary silky quality, rarity and light weight. Brown with a silver cast, it is the most expensive fur, especially when there is an abundance of silver hair. Canadian sable (brown or golden) is somewhat less expensive.

Source:
www.fur.org
www.furcare.org/