Fursuits are durable enough to wear for performance, dancing and interaction, but they are also individual pieces of art which need love and care.
Improper storage, lack of grooming and rough physical activity can cause fursuits to age quickly and show signs of wear. There are proper and improper ways to store, groom, and maintain your costume.

If you want to get the most mileage out of your suit, and keep it looking and feeling new, here are some tips to help you out.

This page contains sections on:
Storage and Travel
Grooming and Keeping Fresh
Maintenance and Fragile Areas

Fursuit Care

When storing, keep your fursuits in a dry, cool and clean area away from moisture, pets and harsh light. Fursuit bodies can be hung up in the closet like clothes, using clothes hangers with clips or laying the suit through the hanger to avoid unnecessary pulling of the fabric. Folding a fursuit up for a long period of time may cause creases in the fur that are difficult to brush out. Fursuit heads should be stored somewhere where there is no pressure on the head to cause an alteration to its shape. Avoid direct light that may fade any airbrushing or dyes used on the suit. Make sure your suit is dry before storing it.

When traveling, you may pack your suit into a suitcase or a large plastic sealed tub or box. When packing into a suitcase, try to protect the head with padding and avoid crushing it down, do not overpack. You should mark luggage containing fursuits as 'fragile' and may want to consider purchasing baggage insurance. An alternative to suitcases is a plastic sealable container or "action packer". "Action packers" look like the image on the left.

Storage and Travel

Brush your suit often! You should always brush out the fur on your suit at cons and before/after wear. Not only does this keep your suit looking fluffy and attractive for photos, it will keep your fur from getting that nappy 'old stuffed animal' look. The best brush for this job is a slicker brush, which can be purchased at any general store or pet shop for under five dollars, or a horsehair brush. You don't need to spend too much time brushing, just a few swift strokes will make a big difference. Overbrushing may pull out the fur over the long term.

Grooming and Hygeine

Odor Control! I highly recommend wearing an Underarmor brand heatgear balaclava beneath your fursuit head. It will help keep the interior of the head from coming into contact with your sweat. After wearing your suit, please hang the bodysuit inside-out and store the head upside-down with the neck open, so it airs out. You may place the items near a vent, airconditioner or fan to speed up the drying process. You should spray the bodysuit and interior of the fursuit head, hands and feet with non-toxic disinfectant spray or watered-down isopropyl alcohol in a spraybottle to kill bacteria. Avoid spraying directly into the eyes of your costume or any airbrushed areas however as it may cause the pigments to bleed. Your sweat can cause the costume to smell over time so it is best to clean the suit after any long use in this manner. Make sure your fursuit is completely dry before you place it a locked container. You can also wash the hands, tail, and bodysuit, see below section.

Washing! Fursuit handpaws and tails can be hand-washed with soapy water or a bit of detergent, then wrung out and air-dried. Bodysuits and tails can also be hand or machine-washed on a cold, gentle cycle… but should NEVER, EVER be put in a dryer. As a rule, NO FAUX FUR ITEMS SHOULD EVER BE DRIED WITH HEAT. The dryer's heat will destroy the acrylic fabric in the fake fur. In all cases, fursuit parts are meant to tumble-or-air-dry and should not be subjected to heat, a hairdryer may be permissible for short periods of time. For cleaning fur, "Folex" and other products used for teddy bears can be used to spot-clean fake fur-this will keep white fur from looking gray. Avoid bleach.

MAINTENANCE: Fursuits may rarely have loose parts or bust a seam after being worn at busy cons or during vigorous activities. It is always a good idea to keep a gluegun and needle-and-thread on hand. Most fursuit repair issues can be easily solved with a dab of hot glue or a bit of simple hand-sewing. Small DIY repairs do not void your warranty.

FRAGILE AREAS:
Fursuits are not indestructible. Resin items such as noses, teeth and claws can be scuffed or sometimes pulled off. Be gentle with the fingers and toes of your costume. Do not shove hard objects into the mouth of your costume (such as glass bottles). Do not drag your costume's nose against walls or floors.

The white "scleras" of the fursuit's eyes are made of plastic and buckram. This plastic retains stains so do not smudge it with any pigment. Do not get water on the irises/pupils.

. Do not poke into the irises/pupils of your fursuits eyes. Do not pull on ears, carry by ears or yank on hair tufts or other protruding pieces. Avoid getting your costume wet.

If damage occurs to your suit that is not out of blatant negligence or purposeful alteration, contact me and I will be able to fix your suit. Kilcodo Costumes has a 2-year repair warranty, more info about this can be read on the F.A.Q. page.

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