How to clean real fur

Real fur is skin with hair on it. Water, detergent, and tumbling heat are how you damage both. Cleaning means removing soil without stripping the hair or stiffening the skin.

At home, do very little

• Shake the piece outdoors.
• Let damp fur dry at room temperature before you do anything else.
• If a small spot is dusty, a clean, barely damp cloth and patience are the limit for most people.
• Stop if the color changes, the hair mats, or the skin feels hard.

Do not rub in circles until the guard hairs knot. Do not “freshen” it with vinegar, baking soda, or a clothing spray. Those are stories, not a method.

When to take it to a fur cleaner

Grease, salt stains, a smell that survived airing, or dirt worked down to the skin are past home care. A fur cleaner — not a regular dry cleaner who happens to have a machine — is the person for that. Say it is fur. Ask what process they use. If the answer is “same as a wool coat,” take it somewhere else.

Gloves and mittens pick up more oil from hands than a hat does. If a pair of gloves or mittens smells sharp after it is fully dry, that is a cleaner’s job, not a wash cycle.

After any cleaning

Air the piece. Shake it so the hair stands. Then store it the way you would after winter: cool, dark, breathable, away from moths. The day-to-day version of this is how to care for a coyote fur hat. The full checklist also lives on the fur care page.

This is general guidance. SD Fur Company has not published a shop-specific cleaning service or a guarantee.