Care and Maintenance
You have your costume whether it is from FluffyPuppyFursuits or another costume maker.
Now you want to keep your character looking great!
Step 1: Basics
Some important things to start with! Remember these work like clothing and can stained and worn out over time.
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Try to brush your costume before and after wears. Prevents matting and looks good! Highly used areas need it the most. A Slicker Brush is recommended.
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Avoid dirt, mud and grass. These can stain and be tough to clean out.
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After wears spray with clothing/fabric safe disinfectant. Fabreeze is recommended. Avoid Costume eyes.
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Do NOT use chemicals made for hard surfaces. This can cause damage to you and your costume over time.
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Try not to crush your costume head while traveling.
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Avoid using your hands to open push doors and railing. Try using your elbows. This is the #1 cause of worn out hands paws and can spread germs.
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Only drink water while in suit.
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While traveling avoid storing your costume in hot areas. This can loosen glued items and cause disfigurement.
Step 2: Washing
There different ways to washing each part of your costume!
How often you wash your suit varies on you. 2-3 wears or after a busy event is the best time to wash. If you’re a heavy sweater more often is best, if you’re not the sweaty type you can wait longer.
Body
You can tub soak or machine wash.
Use a delicate fabric detergent. Woolite is great and smells good.
TUB WASH: Soak body inside out. Press and squeeze every 10 mins or so to get dirt and oils out.
MACHINE WASH: If you trust your machine. Front loading works best and safest. Pull body inside out. Cold setting, high spin.
Pull right side out after.
Head
After each use spray the inside with a fabric safe disinfectant.
Spot wash the face with a damp rag or lightly run under water if you must get a dirty spot.
Avoid costume eyes.
Let out in a dry open area preferably with a fan blowing into the neck out the eyes.
Hands
You can tub soak or machine wash.
Use a delicate fabric detergent. Woolite is great and smells good.
TUB WASH: Soak with body. Press and squeeze every 10 mins or so to get dirt and oils out.
MACHINE WASH: If you trust your machine. Front loading works best and safest. Wash with body. Cold setting, high spin.
I would not recomend macjine washing for paws with claws.
Feet
Spot wash Feet most of the time like the head.
Tail
Tails shouldn’t have to be washed often as the rest of the costume.
But you can always spot wash it.
Step 3: Drying
DO NOT place in dryer. Heat will melt your fur!! This will damage your costume! IT CANNOT be fixed.
Leave your costume parts out in a dry open area with a fan.
Brush out fur as it dries. Every 20 mins or so helps.
Shake out fur ever 20 mins too.
If your dryer has a air dry NO heat setting that can be done. Only if you trust your dryer. WATCH carefully so that no one else accidentally switches. We hate to hear a costume was damaged due to a simple mistake.
Step 4: Storing
Storing your costume is just as important as keeping it clean!
Dry room temp. area.
Store body in a closet or area where fur fibers will not get bent kinked. This can make a costume permanently wrinkly.
Place head on a shelf in a closet or open area where it will not be crushed.
Usually we place the hands inside of the head so they will not get lost.
Tail can be hanged with body.
Feet are best stored below a hanging body or where you would place shoes.
Step 4: Repair & Wear
Your costume is just like clothing. It will wear out. This is normal.
If you’re rough on your costume like doing activities like dancing and sports you’re prone to friction matting and holes.
This isn’t a quality problem, but just normal wear.
Costumes with lots of markings like stripes and spots will be more prone to holes and tears. Not a problem. We can repair them or we can show you how to. Please do NOT be scared to email us!
Anything else you’re concerned about EMAIL us! We are friendly and can set you on the right direction or fix the problem.