Once you’ll receive your suit, the fun can begin! To help you on your way, I made a care guide. In this guide you’ll find a lot of tips and tricks to take care of yourself and your suit. Please read it before you put on or wash your suit.
Read it below and/or download it.
Congratulations on your new fursuit!
To get you started with taking care of your fursuit we’ve included a care guide down below. I understand you’re excited to get suited up but I advise you to read through this guide carefully and make sure to store it somewhere safe for future use so you can be prepared and safe for all the adventures to come!
- Preparations
- Never throw your head, this will break it. Even if your head is made out of foam. 3D printed parts can break, the fabric can rip, etc.
- Make sure you hydrate well. Drink plenty of water, a fursuit gets very hot and you’ll lose a lot of moisture.
- Make sure you’ve had a full meal beforehand
- Make sure you’re clean. Take a shower before wearing your suit and make sure your hair is completely dry. Moisture can cause mold.
- Never use alcohol or drugs when fursuiting. This will make you lose moisture even quicker. When wearing a suit your vision is limited, so make sure to stay safe!
- Make sure you wear the proper clothes underneath your fursuit. Wear a balaclava with your head, this will absorb sweat, which will make sure no mold can grow inside of it. If you’re going to wear a fullsuit or partial with a body or legs I advise you to wear under armor or any other tight-fitting (sports)clothes or something made of lycra, this will wick away sweat and keep you cool. Never fullsuit without wearing clothing underneath. I will be very uncomfortable and your fursuit will get dirty much quicker.
- Make sure to brush your suit thoroughly before you wear your fursuit. Use the brush you’ve received with it to make sure you don’t pull out any of the fur fibers.
- When visiting a convention, it is very tempting to wear your suit for the whole con. I strongly advise against this. Make sure you wear it before the con, build up your time in suit so you get used to wearing it, it will help with the smaller field of vision and so you get less hot.
- Know where you’re going to be suiting. Research when it gets busy and what dangers there could be. If you want to suit in a public place, make sure to contact the owner beforehand to see if it’s allowed and to give a heads up, a lot of places have a ban on wearing masks for safety reasons. Make sure they know you are coming and wearing a mask, always have your ID with you and follow directions of staff/security.
- Never wear your fursuit while driving a vehicle (even a bicycle) or on public transport, it is a huge safety risk!
- Never fursuit alone! Always make sure you have a handler. They will make sure you stay safe, don’t fall over objects, or walk into them. They will also keep you safe in case people are harassing.
- Make sure you take enough food and water with you. Fursuiting takes a lot of energy!
- Learn basic sewing. Learn how to do a ladder stitch and a blanket stitch so you can make small repairs to your suit.
- When you’re planning on wearing your suit check it over for small damages so you can fix them before suiting
- Is your fur creased? These can easily be removed with a blow-dryer on the lowest heat setting. Never point your blower dryer at one spot for too long and make sure you keep it at a 20cm (8inch) distance.
2. Traveling with your fursuit
- When traveling with your fursuit make sure to store it in a watertight and airtight case or bag.
- Make sure that your fursuit is completely dry when traveling with it. If you have to travel with a wet or sweaty fursuit make sure to take it out immediately when you get to your destination and use your fursuit spray!
- Don’t just stuff your suit in a bag or suitcase. This can crease or damage your suit.
- Roll up your fursuit instead of folding it, this will make sure it doesn’t crease.
- Keep your fursuit separate from your other belongings. Never store any fluids with your suit, and not your fursuit spray either. If it opens or leaks, you will get stains.
3. While fursuiting
- Take enough breaks, never suit for long periods at a time.
- Eat and drink enough before suiting. This will make sure you don’t pass out or overheat.
- Don’t roll on the ground, this might look funny or cute, but it will get your suit dirty and can damage it.
- Avoid roughhousing or sudden movements. Don’t jump on people’s backs or the other way around, this can damage your suit.
- Avoid people pulling on your tail, wings, ears or other loose parts.
- Stay away from chemicals and fires.
- Make sure you have a small repair kit on you, so you can fix small damages while out and about.
4. After suiting
- Carefully take off your suit.
- If possible, remove electrical equipment like powerbanks.
- Spray the inside of your suit with fursuit spray. Never spray directly onto the eyes or other airbrushed/painted parts.
- Let your fursuit completely dry before storing it! If you store it wet, it will grow mold. Place your fursuit head on a stand, if you don’t have one put it upside down and open the neck to ventilate it. Make sure you hang your fursuit out to dry well, if you can’t hang it, lay it out well and let it dry completely.
- Check your suit over for damages and stains, the faster you fix them, the better it will be.
- Store your suit dry in a dust-free, dry place. Never place it in a humid space or in direct sunlight.
5. How to wash your suit
Is your suit getting smelly? Or does it have stains? Below you will find how to keep your suit nice and clean and smelling fresh!
Washing general
- Never put fursuit parts in the dryer. Don’t dry it with other heat sources like a blow dryer.
- Never put magnetic parts in the washing machine.
- Parts that have airbrushing aren’t allowed to get wet. This will make the paint faint/wash off. Try to brush off as much of the dirt as possible.
- Remove loose parts like magnetic eyelids or piercings before washing.
- Never use harsh chemicals (like bleach) to clean your suit.
- Use detergent suitable for sensitive fabrics to wash your suit.
- Always use a little bit of detergent. If you use too much it will make the fur sticky and oily. make sure you wash it out well with clean water, without any soap/detergent.
- Never use laundry pods
- Never use fabric softener
- Never use water hotter than 30 degrees Celcius (86 F)
Fursuit head
- Never was your fursuit head in the washing machine.
- Avoid getting water directly onto the eyes.
- Remove loose parts.
- Parts that have airbrushing aren’t allowed to get wet. This will make the paint faint. Try to remove as much dirt as possible with a brush or get a damp, clean cloth (without soap) and carefully brush it off. The eyes are not waterproof.
- Try to brush off as much dirt as possible with your fursuit brush.
- Carefully remove stains with a damp cloth, never use soap. Always be careful not to rub the fur too much, this will result in a bald spot.
- When clean water isn’t enough, you can use a little bit of detergent meant for sensitive fabrics. Make sure the spot is saturated with water and detergent before wiping it off with a clean, damp cloth. make sure to get all the detergent out.
- If you can’t get the stain out, I recommend you use a Bissell spot-clean machine. This will also suck most of the water out of your suit, making it dry better. Never use the cleaner that comes with the machine, just clean water.
- You can clean the inside with a damp towel. Press it to the inside of the suit and use a little bit of detergent. After making sure you remove as much of the detergent with a clean, damp cloth. Grab a dry, clean towel and press as much of the water out as possible.
- You can clean the inside of 3D printed parts with a damp cloth.
- You can find lots of videos on YouTube of people soaking their heads in a bathtub. I strongly advise against this. If you chose to do this anyway, the risk is all yours and your warranty won’t cover it.
- Brush out your suit after every wash, brush with the direction of the fur.
- Let your head dry completely and keep brushing it out as it dries. It can take several days for your head to dry completely.
- Spray your head with fursuit spray before you store it, let it dry completely!
Fursuit handpaws, sockpaws, tails, wings and armsleeves
- These parts are allowed to get fully wet and can be washed in a sink/bathtub or washing machine if they don’t contain any airbrushing or magnets!
- If you want to wash them in the washing machine, use a laundry bag or pillowcase to wash them in.
- Always put your washing machine at the lowest temperature possible. Never use water warmer than 30 degrees Celcius (86 F).
- Put your washing machine on the lowest turn setting possible.
- Hang out parts to let them air dry.
- Brush them out directly after washing and repeat it while they’re drying.
Outdoor feetpaws
- These can’t go into the washing machine. You can handwash them.
- Brush them out directly after washing and repeat it while they’re drying.
Bodysuits
- Turn them inside out and make sure the zipper is closed.
- Bodysuit are allowed to get completely wet if they don’t have any airbrushed parts or magnets.
- If you want to wash them in the washing machine, make sure to put them in a laundry bag or pillowcase.
- Make sure it is turned to low heat/cold. Never use water warmer than 30 degrees Celcius (86 F).
- Make sure your washing machine is on the lowest turn setting possible.
- Hang your bodysuit up to air dry, never use a blowdryer or other heat source to dry your suit.
- Brush it out directly after washing, and repeat it while they’re drying.
6. Storing your fursuit
- Never store your fursuit when it’s wet or damp, this will grow mold and it’s very bad for your health.
- Always store your suit in a dust-free box or bag in a dry space.
- I advise you to put a bag with silica beads in your fursuit storing space, they will help absorb moisture.
- Never store your suit in direct sunlight, this will discolor the fur.
7. Repairs
- I always triple check my products, before sending them out. Unfortunately, it can happen that seams or other parts come lose after much use. Don’t panic! Those are very easy to fix!
- Learn basic sewing. Learn how to do a ladder stitch and a blanket stitch so you can make small repairs to your suit.
- You have 6 months of warranty when you follow this care guide and be careful with your suit.
- The warranty won’t switch owners if the suit does, the warranty is only for the original buyer of the suit!
- When your suit is damaged because of poor care or because of negligence your warranty will immediately be canceled, and you will have to pay for repairs.
- You are always welcome to ask for advice!
8. And most importantly………
Have fun!
If you still have questions after reading this guide you are free to contact me for extra advice, info or questions!
Have fun with your new suit and I hope to see you soon at a convention or fair!