Cleaning a fur hat even at home is not difficult. There are several ways to clean faux and natural fur without the help of specialists. By following simple rules, you can not only clean the fur, but also extend its life, make it beautiful and shiny.
Cleaning is required both from the outside, that is, the fur itself, and from the inside, that is, the lining and leather.
Cleaning the outside
Cleaning a hat primarily concerns fur. It is fur that gives not only warmth, but also beauty. Before storing the hat, it is necessary to clean the fur from lint and dirt. This can be done in two ways - mechanical and chemical.
Mechanical means cleaning with a metal brush. For convenience, it can be wrapped with cotton wool, which will help collect fine dust, lint and dirt particles. This method is suitable for new or already thoroughly cleaned hats.
The chemical method is a deeper cleaning that allows you to remove heavy dirt, clean the pile and add shine to the pile. This method does not necessarily involve synthetic and aggressive agents such as ammonia or gasoline. Natural substances such as starch, salt, and cereals, which are available in almost any home, are also well suited for cleaning fur hats.
How to clean a hat made of natural bristles?
Cleaning natural fur is somewhat more difficult than faux fur, since such products cannot be washed, especially in a washing machine.Washing can lead not only to deformation of the product, but also to its shrinkage.
White or light natural fur deserves special attention. On such hats, dirt is most visible, and white fur often turns yellow and changes color.
You can return the original color and appearance to light hats in the following ways:
- using 3% hydrogen peroxide - dilute with water in a ratio of 1 to 1, spray with a spray bottle, let dry and shake;
- using shampoo for pets - dilute the shampoo with warm water, wipe the lint with a dampened rag, wipe with a paper towel, dry and comb;
- using semolina, flour or starch - heat in a frying pan (be careful not to burn, otherwise the fumes will remain on the fur), distribute over the pile, knead with your hands, shake and comb.
Talc is also suitable: rub into the fur, knead with your hands and shake. Talc will help both clean the hat and protect it from moths.
Stains on white and light fur are removed using gasoline mixed with starch (potato or corn). Gasoline and starch are mixed so that a homogeneous porridge-like substance is obtained. The resulting mass is applied to the contaminated area, gently rubbed in with a sponge or brush and removed from the fur with a rag.
To rid the hat of an unpleasant odor, it should be ventilated in fresh air. Also, do not forget about the safety rules when working with gasoline: away from fire and in well-ventilated areas.
In addition to the above methods, dark fur can be cleaned using rye bran or sand.
Bran or sand is heated in a frying pan, evenly distributed over the fur of the hat, lightly rubbed into the villi with your hands and left for several hours. Then the product is shaken and combed out with a brush. If dirt remains, it is necessary to repeat the procedure. In the case of sand, you should repeat the cleaning several times until the sand is completely clean.
Small dirty areas that give off a dirty sheen can be cleaned with gasoline or a solution of salt and ammonia (3 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of ammonia per 500 ml of water). It is necessary to moisten a cotton pad or swab with the solution and treat the dirty area.
How to clean an artificial fur hat?
Artificial fur requires more delicate cleaning than natural fur, which is due to the peculiarities of its production. Artificial fur is most often made from acrylic and polyacrylic polymers, which may be incompatible with many reagents. After aggressive dry cleaning, artificial fur may not only lose its original appearance, but also begin to crumble.
Faux fur hats can be machine washed on a delicate cycle. It is better to dry the hat on a glass jar so that it does not lose its shape. After drying, you need to comb the fur. This cleaning method is the simplest, but you should not overuse it, since frequent washing can deform the hat and fur.
Stains on a faux fur hat cannot be cleaned with gasoline. A mixture of starch and liquid soap or dishwashing detergent is suitable for removing spot stains. The mixture is applied to the pile and left until dry. Then the cleaning mass is removed from the pile with a brush.
Carpet and furniture cleaners can also be used to remove stains. The instructions and recommendations on the packaging should be followed.
Cleaning inside
Even if the fur looks well-groomed and clean on the outside, the lining and inside of the hat must be cleaned before each storage.
The inside of the hat is responsible not so much for aesthetics, but for the health of the owner. The lining gets dirty faster and more heavily than fur, and infrequent cleaning of the lining can be bad for your scalp and hair.
Dry and small stains are removed using alcohol and a cotton pad or cotton swab. The cap must be turned out so that the lining is on the outside, put it on a three-liter jar and walk over the lining with a sponge soaked in a soapy solution. Then wipe with a damp cloth and leave to dry in this position, for example, on a balcony, away from heaters and other heat sources.
If the contamination is too strong and old, a number of actions must be taken:
- carefully tear off the lining, marking with colored threads on the hat and the lining itself how and to which sides of the hat to sew it back;
- wash the lining as usual and leave it to dry;
- sew up holes and cracks on the inside of the hat with regular cotton threads and seal the seams with medical plaster;
- Using a brush, clean both the fur and the inside of the hat with a solution of alcohol and salt (three tablespoons of alcohol and one tablespoon of salt per glass of water);
- dry and shake the hat;
- sew the lining, focusing on the marks.
The hat should be sent for storage only after complete cleaning and complete drying.
How to add shine to a fur hat?
The following substances are suitable to add shine to the villi:
- lemon juice;
- acetic acid solution;
- glycerin solution.
Apply using a spray bottle and then wipe with a paper towel.
A product based on fish oil returns shine. To do this you need:
- fish oil - 100 g;
- soap (laundry) - 10 g;
- ammonia - 10 drops;
- boiling water - 1 l.
All substances should be mixed, wait until cooled (to about room temperature) and spread over the fur of the hat (for convenience, you can take a sponge), and then wipe with a paper towel.
How to store?
The cleanliness of the hat may depend on storage rules. The hat should be stored in a “breathable” case, that is, in a fabric or paper bag. The fur should not be exposed to sunlight or warm air currents, so the ideal place is a shelf in a closet with enough free space for air circulation.
