How to clean a fur collar at home?

Natural fur collars are luxurious and attractive, they delight us with their softness and brilliant tints of pile. It is unfortunate that after two or three seasons of wear, they begin to fade, the pile sticks together, and the appearance loses its attractiveness. The reason for this transformation is the banal dirt that accumulates in the pile. In order to return your favorite collar to its former attractiveness, you need to know how to clean it at home.

Since the time of grandmothers and great-grandmothers, there have been methods for home cleaning of fur, in which products such as semolina, talc, gasoline and ammonia were used. These methods seem effective, but cannot compete with the dry cleaning of furs. However, modern science offers home cleaning methods for furs that are quite capable of competing with professional technologies. These are the products that are classified as fur care cosmetics.

In Russia, the most famous compositions of the brand Biofur, belonging to the category of gentle products for cleaning and caring for natural furs. They are able to clean both chemical pollution, such as traces of cosmetics, and ordinary street dirt.Biofur also helps to rid the fur of oiliness and greasy shine. Biofur products are divided into the following categories:

• Restorer: a product for preventive care of fur, which must be used if the product has faded, lost its attractive appearance, or creases have appeared on it from long-term storage in a case.
• Medium-intensity cleaner, which is used in the presence of general pollution without clearly visible stains, that is, with the appearance of visible fat and rolled pile;
• Foam (soap) to eliminate particularly dirty or greasy stains.

The cost of a comprehensive care kit will cost the buyer about 2,500 rubles, the volume of bottles purchased for this amount is enough to process a medium-sized mink coat. The Biofur kit also includes a brush for combing the fur, a terry cloth for wiping, as well as gloves and oilcloth. The sequence of actions when using Biofur products is as follows:

• It is necessary to lay out the product on a table covered with oilcloth, and determine the location of especially intense stains;
• Shake the bottle of foam (on which there is an inscription “soap”) and apply no more than two injections to the surface of the brush, which then wipe the dirty stain without pressing too hard so as not to damage the pile;
• For 2-3 minutes, roll up the product and leave it for maximum exposure to the product;
• Wash off the foam along with the dirt with a damp terry cloth, trying to prevent the mezdra from getting wet;
• Then you should clean the entire surface of the collar with a cleaner, for which you need to shake the bottle several times and spray its contents onto the surface of the fur, not approaching more than 15 cm;

• For a better effect, the product should be rolled up and left for 15-20 minutes, after which the product should be washed off along with dissolved contaminants with a terry cloth.
• When washing off dirt, you should be especially careful not to wet the collar through, as in this case, when drying, the core may shrink;
• Lay out the collar evenly and let it dry completely naturally (without using a hair dryer); during the drying process, periodically comb the fur with a metal comb, which is included in the kit, and also shake the fur for better air penetration;
• After complete drying, the fur should be treated with a Biofur restoring spray, which will “revive” the natural structure of the crumpled fur and restore its shine. After spraying the product, it should be left for 2-3 minutes, then removed with a damp cloth.

Thanks to this complex surface cleaning method, any fur collar can be restored to a fresh look and attractiveness, however a similar method will not help rid the product of yellowness.

For home use, Netbril-o Concentrated, a French-made fur cleansing emulsion, can also be convenient. In addition to the cleaning effect, this product has a dirt-repellent and antistatic effect. The cost of a bottle of 250 ml is 1,290 rubles. The method of application is as follows:

• The emulsion should be diluted with alcohol in a ratio of 1/3, it is best to do this in a blender to obtain the most uniform composition;
• Apply the mixture to the sponge and treat the surface of the collar, repeating these steps several times if necessary;
• Allow to dry naturally, periodically shaking and combing the fur.

The German tool "Shine-finish / TCHB / TTSHB / Parva-cremie" can also be used to clean fur products manually at home. It is recommended for cleaning moderately soiled fur, as well as for applying a top coat that is waterproof and prevents dirt and grease from sticking. In addition, this emulsion can be used as an antistatic agent for high pile collars such as fox, raccoon or lynx. The cost of 250 ml is 1,290 rubles. The application method is very simple:

• Apply the product to the fur with a spray bottle and wait 10 seconds;
• Comb the fur against the direction of hair growth;
• Shake well;
• Allow to dry at room temperature, shaking and combing occasionally.

This tool will help get rid of the yellowness of a white fur collar, for example, from arctic fox or mink. It is produced in Germany, a 100 ml bottle costs 2,050 rubles. The application is not difficult:

• Mix the product with a solution of hydrogen peroxide in a ratio of 1/4, shaking thoroughly;
• Using a spray gun, apply to the surface of the collar laid out on the table;
• Allow to dry by combing and shaking the fur from time to time.

This cleaning method is used in the professional processing of fur products in dry cleaners, however, if desired, it can also be done at home, especially when it comes to a small fur product, such as a collar. Effective dry cleaning method for heavily soiled furs.

As a cleaning agent, special environmentally friendly sawdust ECO Clean or TOP Clean is used, which can be purchased for 750 rubles. The weight of one "bucket" of such sawdust is 400 g. Since the sawdust is very light, one purchased "bucket" is enough for many cleanings. The method of application is as follows:

• The sawdust is impregnated with Netbril-o Concentrated; try not to get too wet, but create a soft gruel;
• With a gloved hand, rub wet sawdust into the fur, it is especially necessary to rub it abundantly in places of significant pollution;
• Heavily soiled areas can be wiped several times;
• Leave the collar on for 30 minutes for maximum impact;
• Shake out the sawdust from the fur (it is advisable to shake it outside, as this is a rather dirty procedure);
• Lay the collar out on a flat surface to dry, shaking and brushing occasionally.

In the event that it is problematic to purchase cosmetic products for fur care, the fur collar can be washed. However, this does not mean that it can be loaded into a washing machine or soaked in a basin of washing powder.Such actions will lead to the fact that the collar can be completely damaged. Washing fur is a purely surface treatment. At the same time, the mode of action is very similar to the use of the Biofur deep cleansing agent, more precisely, the one called the cleansing foam.

When washing a fur collar, you can use one of the shampoos: it can be a gentle shampoo for colored hair, a shampoo for brittle hair, or even a pet shampoo. The washing method is:

• In a small flat bowl, beat the shampoo and a small amount of water into a strong foam;
• Apply foam to the fur with a colorless dense sponge;
• Rub in, trying not to let the collar get wet through;
• Leave for 3-5 minutes, then wash off the foam with a slightly damp clean sponge;
• Wipe the fur with a terry towel;
• Comb gently with a bristle comb;
• Lay out to dry on a flat surface, combing and shaking occasionally.

For information on how to return the fur to its former whiteness, see the following video.