Washing suede and faux fur? - YouLookFab Forum

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Washing suede and faux fur?

ironkurtin

Veteran

So I purchased the jacket in the pic for not much, and it for sure could use a little bit of washing love - the faux fur is a bit clumpy. The sleeves are goat leather, says the label, and they're suedelike.

Anyone think something very bad will happen if I throw this in the washer on cold? I really don't want to pay the $$$ to get it dry cleaned. I've had decent luck washing leather purses and then reconditioning them.

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General

14 replies

Latest reply was from rute

Anonymous

I've washed leather and suede. I think the harder part is drying, you have to massage it periodically as it drys to keep it supple. I would worry more about the die loss. The fur could use a good brushing, maybe that would be enough.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

Can you brush the fur with a hairbrush? It may help more than washing it.

bella

(website)

Veteran

This may not be the same thing, but when I was a kid, whenever my mother threw one my furry toys into the washing machine, they came out a bit wonky. So I'd be more worried about the fur itself than leather.

Diana

Veteran

I had the same thought as Bella. It's not the leather you have to worry about, I think it's the fur. I would be worried about it shrinking. The problem with mixed media items is that a lot of times the two materials don't shrink the same amount when washed, which results in really wonky seams and shaping.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

What Diana said - I'd also be worried about dye transfer, the black could run.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Has anyone actually tried it?

Unfortunately, brushing the faux fur is unlikely to remove the slightly skeezy feeling of dirty fabric.

Vildy

Veteran

I've washed suede before with no problem but the trick is that it does well beat up in the dryer and faux fur shouldn't go into a dryer. And probably shouldn't be agitated.

K. Period.

Veteran

I washed a couple of washable suede jackets and both of them shrunk. The finish was never quite as buttery and soft as before either. I might try Vildy's trick to throw them in my dryer with a few dryer balls. It won't fix the shrinkage, but it may help with the texture.

Vildy

Veteran

about the shrunken suede - is it possible that if you wet them again that the leather would be open to being gently stretched?

Anonymous

Oh, faux fur gets super nappy when wet or washed. You'd have better luck with the suede, I bet.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Yeah, faux fur is just YUCK when it goes in the washer. They even suggest not to wear it in rain around where I live and if you do get caught in rain (say while wearing the fur trim on your puffer coat) it's best to let it air dry and then comb it because the dryer is disaster for it.

You might wonder why they even make puffer coats with faux fur trim since a lot of times people will, by definition, be wearing them in the snow...but (not wet) snow is not at all like real rain. It just sort of sits on top and then vanishes in the dry air.

And the fur trim is usually removable on the better coats so if you know the conditions are wet you just take it off.

ETA: Vildy may be right about the agitation being the main culprit. I'm not sure about that -- I do know I've "rescued" faux fur caught in the rain but never rescued faux fur caught in the washer.

Lantana

Veteran

I'd wash it by hand with a baby shampoo,or moisturising soap like Dove(don't know if you get that where you are) or a eucalyptus based wool wash.
Wash in warm water.
Treat the jacket gently, gently, gently-I would never dream of using a washing machine for a renovation like this.
Squeeze the shampoo through the fabric, don't scrub and rub.
Rinse it, gently does it once again.
Lay it flat to dry in a spot where air circulates so it doesn't take a week to dry.
Use one of those metal pet brushes to tease out the matted fur.
It will look almost like new and smell nice to boot.
I guess you're thinking by now that it would be easier for me to fly over and do this myself.

Vildy

Veteran

Here's an article where a woman tells in detail how she washed her faux fur in the bathtub - very much like Lantana's method with the addition of squeezing out the water as it dries.
http://zoundsdesign.wordpress......aux-fur-an

rute

Veteran

I always take this kind of pieces to drycleaning!