COSTUME CARE
Fursuits / Mascots:
Heads:
Heads can be sprayed on the inside and outside with antibacterial Febreeze (or other scented disinfectant spray). Heads can also be cleaned with a no-heat steam cleaner (such as the Bissell Little Green Machine) for a deep cleaning.
If using a disinfectant spray or no-heat steam cleaner, take care to not let the spray come into direct contact with the eyes; covering them with a washcloth will help protect them.
In case of stains, a gentle detergent or OxiClean can be applied with a washcloth or soft brush and rinsed with COLD water. To dry, remove excess water with a dry towel and place the head in front of a fan (with NO heat.) Be sure to check on the head periodically to brush it and ensure the fabric pile lays correctly.
Extreme heat (such as a hairdryer,) total water submersion (such as being put in a pool or washing machine,) and smoking can ruin a head! Do NOT leave a head in a hot car, expose to high heat / fire, store in direct sunlight, or crush / deform a head (such as vacuum sealing.) We recommend storing heads with a dryer sheet inside to keep them smelling fresh.
Velcro eyelids and tongues should be removed with care; use both hands, with one gently probing the Velcro halves apart while the other lifts or rolls the piece away.
Our heads are not designed with alterations by others in mind, and we are not responsible for any difficulties others may encounter when trying to alter our pieces.
Outdoor feet:
Outdoor feet can be washed the same way as heads; we don't recommend completely submerging or soaking them, but they don't have any areas that need to be protected from water.
Outdoor feet CAN be vacuum sealed for transport if necessary, but should not be stored in a vacuum-sealed state. DO NOT leave in a hot car, store in direct sunlight, or expose to high heat / fire. We recommend storing outdoor feet with a dryer sheet inside to keep them smelling fresh.
Bodysuits:
CFStudios bodysuits can be machine washed on COLD with a delicate cycle and a detergent designed for delicates (will say "delicate" on the bottle.) We don't recommend Woolite as it's designed for organic fibers and can cause a greasy film to build up on acrylic fur over time. DO NOT use fabric softener or bleach.
To wash your bodysuit, first ensure that all of the pieces are removed from it. This includes body stuffing (velcro digitigrade padding for older suits), feet, hands, and tail if applicable. If the tail is sewn on, it is recommended that the commissioner remove the stuffing inside of it, but it is ultimately optional.
If you feel like your body stuffing needs to be washed, we recommend tying it into pillow cases and washing it the same way as listed above. For older costumes, digitigrade pillow padding can be placed into the washer as-is.
Bodysuits, stuffing, and (for older suits) padding pillows can be hang-dried or air-dried if your dryer has a NO HEAT / AIR ONLY setting.
After your pieces have been washed, remove excess water with a towel and hang up to dry. Brush them out gently and place them in front of a fan if needed; make sure to check on them periodically and continue to gently brush them out to make sure the fabric pile lays correctly.
Bodysuits and padding can be vacuum-sealed for transport but should not be stored in a vacuum-sealed state; we recommend storing a bodysuit by hanging it or gently folding it into a bin; removal of stuffing and feet for storage is not necessary but can be helpful to reduce space if a client doesn't mind restuffing it for every use.
DO NOT leave a bodysuit in a hot car, store in direct sunlight, or expose to high heat or fire.
Pieces (indoor feet, hands, backpack wings, removeable tails, etc)
We recommend putting backpack wings and hands into a delicates bag or pillowcase; indoor feet can be placed into a washing machine as-is. Tails CAN be placed into a washing machine as-is but we recommend removing stuffing if possible or large enough in order to have a more manageable drying time.
Pieces should be machine washed COLD on a delicate cycle with a detergent designed for delicates (will say "delicate" on the bottle.) We don't recommend Woolite as it's designed for organic fibers and can cause a greasy film to build up on acrylic fur over time. DO NOT use fabric softener or bleach.
Pieces can either be hang-dried or air dried if your dryer has a NO HEAT / AIR ONLY cycle; make sure to brush drying pieces several times to ensure the fabric pile is laying the proper way.
Unless otherwise advised, pieces can be vacuum-sealed for transport but should not be stored in a vacuum-sealed state. DO NOT leave pieces in a hot car, store in direct sunlight, or expose to high heat or fire.
Fantasy Costumes / Creature Suits:
Unfortunately traditional costumes vary far too much from project to project and, due to the wide variety of materials they may include, we will have to inform you on a case by case basis of how to care for your traditional costume or accessories. Sorry for the inconvenience!
