Care Guide

Here are some general tips on how I recommend you care for your suit. There are plenty of other ways to wash, store, and take care of ones suit but these are personally what I do and recommend. Feel free to do whatever you feel is best for you. 

Art by Eneyla

Sammy Smiles Recommends you wash your suit after every convention or long suiting adventures, though for some people, every other convention is good as well. 

Washing!
Never use heat of any kind when washing your suit! 
Heat will damage the faux fur fibers, usually to the point of no return.

Detergent recommendations; Woolite 

Head washing; Use a damp washcloth and spot clean head only. My heads are not machine washer tested so I wouldn't recommend it until I get the chance to test it myself. 
Hand washing: Place inside a pillow case or wash bag and wash in washer. Gentle spin with COLD water. 
Tail washing: The tail can be put in the washer but I recommend spot cleaning it if necessary. Floor draggers can be spot cleaned with Folex. 
Feet washing: Removing stuffing and put in washer inside pillow case or wash bag. Gentle spin with COLD water. 
Bodysuit washing: Remove stuffing and put in washer. Gentle spin with COLD water. 

Drying: DO NOT USE DRIER. Take immediately from the washer to bathroom. Hang on shower rod if possible with a hanger making sure to brush the fur so it lays flat. Personally I leave the bathroom vent going to help remove moisture but this isn't needed. Leave the suit until it is dry. 

General care! 

Always be sure to bring a brush with you to cons so you can look your best. We recommend slicker brushes commonly found at Walmart and most pet stores. If used too roughly though, these brushes could cause balding in certain areas. While we have never experienced this issue if you are cautious about this you can get a more gentle brush to avoid the possibility of this happening. 

Disinfectant spray is your friend! You sweat a lot and at conventions it is good to keep a bottle with you for in between suiting. These can be made easily with water and 70% Alcohol but can also typically be bought in Dealers Den and from a variety of makers online. 
Here is a great tutorial on how to disinfect your suit! 

To help keep sweat off your bodysuit we recommend wearing Under Armor or other athletic type clothing. A balaclava is also recommended when wearing a head. 

Art by Eneyla

Art by Eneyla

Storage!
Make sure to always store your fursuit in a climate controlled area. If left in the heat for too long the glue on the head might separate and the fur might get damaged. 

Never keep your fursusit in a bin for long amounts of time as this may crinkle and damage the fur over time. Short spans like the weekend are perfectly fine but over a month is not advised. 

Hang your body and tail on a hanger. If you are limited on room and have a digigrade body we recommend removing the stuffing before hanging up your suit.