How to clean a mink: cleaning mink fur at home

Any thing gets dirty sooner or later, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a dress or a mink coat. It is quite easy to deal with dirt on a dress, but to clean a mink at home, you will have to put in more effort and ingenuity. Of course, you can always just take your fur coat to the dry cleaner, but there is a high probability that the product will be damaged there, and the cost of such a service is not cheap. Therefore, in most cases, fur cleaning can be done at home using simple products. The most important thing is accuracy and strict adherence to the instructions, because any fur product requires careful handling.

How do you know if it's time to clean your fur, or should you wait a while?

First, you should check whether your coat needs deep cleansing, or you can get by with combing and airing.

Take the product in your hands, bring it to your face and blow until a funnel is formed, so that the skin is visible. Shake gently. If there is no trace left of your actions, and the fur lies flat again, smell it. The absence of even a slight unpleasant odor will tell you that the fur does not need additional cleaning, so just comb it and hang it for airing, away from drafts and heating.

The fur has lost its shine, become noticeably wrinkled, lost its fluffiness and color - these are sure signs that it’s time to clean it. But even if obvious signs of contamination are not visible, the sheepskin coat should be cleaned after long-term off-season storage; this will “wake up” and refresh it.

Mink fur cleaning steps

Cleaning mink fur involves two stages - a mechanical cleaning stage, and a deep cleaning stage using chemicals.

Mechanical cleaning, i.e. dry, is done by thoroughly combing with a brush, which removes fallen hairs, lumps, and hairs. Mechanical cleaning is most often aimed at smoothing the pile, and does not give such a noticeable result as chemical cleaning.

When doing chemical or wet cleaning at home, various cleaning and washing chemicals will come to the rescue. This type of cleaning is deeper and more effective, but at the same time it can cause irreparable damage to your mink fur if you are careless and inconsistent in your actions.

Effective methods for cleaning a mink yourself

At home, you can quickly and efficiently use many methods to clean mink fur yourself. But, in any case, you should act very carefully and carefully, because the skins of these animals are capricious things and will not tolerate careless treatment.

The most common, but no less effective, method of cleaning animal skins is semolina. This method is suitable if the fur coat is dusty from being worn for a long time, or is “tired” from hanging in the closet. We lay out the fur coat on a hard, flat surface, and sprinkle the most contaminated places with dry semolina (usually the dirtiest places are the sleeves, collar and pocket area). Then, with light movements, we imitate normal washing for 30-40 seconds. Shake the product and comb it out using a special brush.
Cleaning with starch occurs in the same way as cleaning with semolina.The color of the starch will tell you how dirty the fur was. It is worth repeating the cleaning with starch until the shaken off powder remains white - this will serve as proof that there is no more dirt and dust left.
Hot sand cleaning is also a gentle method of cleaning mink products. To do this, you need to take fine washed sand and heat it in a dry frying pan. Carefully lay out the mink fur product on a flat surface and sprinkle the most contaminated areas with hot sand. Wait until the sand cools down and carefully brush it out with a soft brush. If the sand is not completely combed out, lift the product and shake vigorously several times.
Another way to renew mink fur at home is to treat it with a brush dipped in gasoline. Gently, using light pressure, comb in the direction of hair growth. Cleaning with gasoline is dangerous; it should only be done away from fire, in a well-ventilated area. After treatment, be sure to take the product out into the fresh air for several hours to thoroughly ventilate. But, if your fur coat is made of light material, this method will not work, since gasoline gives a yellowish tint.
Cleaning mink fur with vinegar is also common. A 5% solution of table vinegar is prepared, then a cotton pad is soaked in it, and the product is processed in the direction of growth. The dirt will remain on the disc, and the fur will sparkle with new colors.
If you need to clean light fur, then instead of vinegar from the previous recipe, use hydrogen peroxide, also 5%. After each treatment, change the disc, and after wetting, be sure to wring it out - if it gets on the skin, the solution can ruin it and cause the formation of bald spots.
Also, mink fur can be cleaned using ordinary ammonia. To prepare a solution of the required concentration, you need to take 4 tablespoons of water and one spoon of alcohol and mix well. Then you can moisten a cotton swab and process according to hair growth. Dry in the open air, never on a radiator or heater.
To clean serious stains, prepare sawdust from deciduous wood, mix with a small amount of pure gasoline and apply the slurry. After some time, carefully comb out with a soft brush.
You can also clean mink fur using regular hair shampoo. We dilute it in water, whipping up a thick foam, and then apply this foam using a sponge. Let sit for a few minutes, comb thoroughly and dry.

A few more tips for caring for mink

You can also remove stains from tea, coffee or juice using a soap solution and a soft brush. A stain from lipstick or foundation can be removed with a thick cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol.
After any method you use, dry and ventilate the cleaned product only in the open air, away from heating elements and drafts. Do not iron under any circumstances!
Fur products need a “walk” after a long rest. After removing the fur from storage, shake it, hang it on a coat hanger, and hang it outdoors for about an hour or two. Then comb the product - it will shine and refresh.
If you want to give your hat or coat your favorite scent, do not under any circumstances spray perfume on the fur. Apply perfume to a special brush and comb the fur - the aroma will last long and brightly.

Mink fur has always been the most prestigious, expensive and fashionable. After all, it is not only beautiful, but also relatively wear-resistant - with careful and careful wear and proper care, it can serve you for ten to twelve years. That is why an elegant mink coat or a chic mink coat was, and still is, the dream of many women. And, if your dream is already on your shoulders, then with very little work, you can extend the life and beauty of this wonderful soft fur.