CARE/STORAGE
STORAGE
-There are many different ways to store a Fursuit, here are some tips TO HELP YOU STORE them.
-If you’re planning on storing in a box/container, the body, padding and tail can be squashed with no damage for long periods of time.
-For conventions you can vacuum seal the body/padding and tail with no damage, just know you'll need to let everything sit and expand for an hour after unsealing.
-While feet and hands can be squashed a fare bit, it is not recommended to do so for a long period of time, only for packing not for long term storage.
-It is best to avoid squashing a head, while they have a little bit of give around the ears and muzzle, it is always better to avoid.
-A good tip is to put your handpaws inside your head, this way the paws won’t get damaged and then they take up less room.
-Once your suit is completely dry it can be hung up, it’s is a good idea to get a soft padded coat hanger, although a dry suit doesn’t stretch when hung up, it is always a good idea to go that extra mile to prolong your suits life.
PROFORMANCE
-When wearing a suit it is always a good idea to wear under-armour and a balaclava, not only does it keep you cooler, but it also keeps the sweat off the wearer and the Fursuit.
-It is recommended to always have at least two sets of under-armour and balaclavas, that way while one is drying you can use the other to suit-up.
-I am a Fursuiter myself, and believe me, wearing under-amour vs not wearing it makes a huge difference, when you’re are wearing it you are much cooler and can suit-up for a lot longer, so please get some under-armour.
-When Fursuiting it is always a good idea to practice wearing your suit before wearing one at a convention, so you know how long you can suit for and also to develop your character.
-When Fursuiting it is very important to take lots of breaks and drink lots of water, wearing a suit can get very hot and if you are not keeping hydrated you can make your self sick.
Thankfully at Furry conventions there are always staff and handlers around to help you if you need, but during meetings and other Fursuit outings that might not be the case, so it is always a good idea to make sure there is a handler or someone available to help you if needed.
BRUSHING
-When brushing your suit, always brush gently, never dig in or brush rough, brushing your suit gently will add years onto your suit.
-If you can use a puppy brush that has balls on the end of the bristles, this will also help to put years on your suit as it doesn’t dig in.
-When brushing a head beware of the eyes, you don’t want to scratch any of the materials.
-While it is bad to over brush a Fursuit, it is even worse to never brush, not brushing a suit can result in matting, once a suit gets badly matted it is very hard to save.
-The best times for brushing a suit would be: Before and after wearing, after washing, and before a photo shoot.
-These are just brushing guides for those who’ve never owned a suit before, once you’ve had your suit for a while, you’ll know when to brush and when not to brush.
WASHING
-When washing your suit be sure to always use cold water, hot and sometimes warm water can damage/melt/or distort the fur.
-Be sure to do research on the detergents and softeners you use, some can damage and melt fur.
-When washing in a machine always turn your body inside out, or put it inside a pillow case/blanket case, doing this will not only stop the fur from being pulled out, but also save your washing machine from dealing with a fur-ball.
-FeetPaws/Handpaws can be put in the washing machine if you’d like, just be sure to put them in a pillow case.
-During a convention or in between big washes, you can just grab a damp cloth and wipe the inside and outside of the suit, then once dry you can give it a spray with either a safe disinfectant or Fursuit disinfectant.
-Heads are by far the most delicate to wash, you never want to wash them in a machine, or soak them in water. The best way to wash a head is to grab a wet cloth and wipe them down inside and out, being careful to avoid the eyes. Once your head is dry, disinfect.
-A great idea is to use disinfectant spray on all inside parts of your; body, head, hands and feet after every wear.
DRYING
-When a Bodysuit is soaking wet it is very fragile, it stretches easy and can be morphed out of shape.
-When drying a bodysuit be sure to squeeze as much water out as possible without twisting your suit.
When your suit is relatively free of most water it is time to hang them up.
When hanging up a suit it is always a good idea to lay them flat across the whole clotheshorse, this will stop stretching.
Letting a suit hang down from one part can cause stretching from where it’s being hung from.
This applies to tails and armsleeves.
-FeetPaws/HandPaws are a lot sturdier when it comes to drying because they are smaller and lighter which means they are less likely to stretch at all, because of this it is more than fine to hang these up for drying.
-A tip for drying feet though, hanging them upside down will help them dry out quicker.
-Padding can be washed the same way you would wash a pillow, it isn't delicate like the rest of the suit.
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