Yes! I've been looking for a simple guide like this for a while now. Thanks for that.

You're very welcome! :)

very helpful! thanks!

You're very welcome! :D

This is awesome! Thanks, I'll definitely be referring back to this.

Excellent, and thank you! =)

Very useful! I've been doing this since you suggested it with your last cleaning guide :)

Excellent! Glad you found it useful too! :D

I've been using Lysol and a doggy brush after every suit outing.
I wear a full-body underarmour suit underneath that usually catches most of my sweat. How long do you usually wait before giving the suit an actual bath? I've heard tub-bathing isn't really necessary until yor suit stinks because it wears down the suit. Do you bathe yours after every use?
And is Lysol spray equivalent to using your diluted alcohol method? I've never heard of it having any harsh chemicals, and my suit has no airbrushing, but if it degrades my costume in any way I need to stop ASAP!
Thanks for the help B)

I don't wash my suit after every wear, goodness no! I do disinfect it after every *heavy* wear though (if I sweated into it a lot, I disinfected it!)

I wash it once it either starts smelling, or the dried sweat sticks into the fur and makes it "spike" up and hard to brush!

As for lysol, I would look into it. If it says on the bottle that it's not for clothing, prolonged skin contact, or breathing in, you probably shouldn't use it!

Here is some more information on ingredients that are dangerous: http://www.fursuit.org/node/31

Thanks gurl!

Awesome tutorial :3

I was always trying to figure out how to disinfect the head :D

NOW I KNOW.

Now go clean those heads! ;P
And feet... And bodies... Haha!

I am now inspired to do a pre-MFF cleaning!

Do it!! Or gimme your suits and I will!! *grabby hands*

70% IPA is available almost everywhere. Do not use near fire or flame.


I usually dry my suit parts out with a hose-type hair dryer set to Cool. Then spray out with a store-brand aerosol disinfectant, but would prefer something without a fragrance.

Definitely use rubbing alcohol then! Doesn't leave a smell at all :)

Just to amend this: Your photo shows 91% alcohol, which is harder to find (and more expensive). You recommend mixing it 60/40 to water (e.g. final ratio = 54% alcohol).

To get the same ratio with 70% alcohol, mix it in around an 80/20 ratio with water (final ratio = 56%).

As others have said, thanks for the guide! I didn't realize alcohol was O.K. for such purposes and am glad to know that now. :)

mhmmm! This is certainly quite interesting information! :3 Though, is it really safe to turn the body suit upside down like this? I'd tend to think it wouldn't do that much good to the fur...

It is perfectly safe! The suit is sewn inside out like that too.
All it does is ruffle up the fur a bit, nothing a quick brushing won't fix!

also antibacterial fabreeze works too....

See my notes at the bottom.

Antimicrobial Febreze is NOT safe for clothing or anything coming in contact with your skin, and you shouldn't breathe it in either!
It can also DISINTEGRATE the foam in your fursuit head over time.

So no, not good for fursuits!

Im not sure if it was mentioned above at all but littlebluewolfleo has found that before any kind of disinfecting, that you wipe down the inside of a head with a paper towel first to absorb any moisture before spraying any alcohol mixture. Just my 2 cents! ^^

Other than that, I have always LOVED your suit cleaning tutorials. It helps SO many people Im sure who have NO idea on how to properly clean their suits!
A clean suit is a SMELL GOOD suit! :D

My own above comment deleted for errors, even tho Im sure some will still remain

I've never actually sprayed down my head while it was still sweaty, as my balaclavas dry SUPER fast!

But definitely very helpful to know just in case! Thank you ;D

Hm, does wintergreen rubbing alcohol work just as good too? I would imagine it gives the suit a nice minty fresh scent.

That's what I've heard! Never used it myself but I would imagine it smells nice :)

Thank you kindly! I'll have to do this to my suit.

Excellent! Please do, it'll keep your suit in best condition :)

I've been using this method pretty much since I've been involved with fursuiting. It's safe, cheap and effective :)

Whenever I see a fursuiter using harsh chemicals such as End Bac, Lysol or equivalent I let them know that they're doing more harm than good to their fursuit and themselves. (Why do you wanna use what is essentially bathroom disinfectant on your critter??) I have turned quite a few fursuiters over to the alcohol\water trick. No complaints so far!

Now I know that Lysol and such will degrade foam and materials in fursuits, but I can't see Febreeze do that in moderation. I do notice that it leaves an oily residue on the surface of the fabric if the suit is doused in the stuff.

I'm not sure if febreze is harmful like endbac is to the suit, BUT I know febreze is harmful to people! It even says on the bottle that antimicrrobial febreze is not for clothes or contact with skin :P

Exactly this! I'd be really afraid to use something harmful to a suit and myself (especially when it's pressed against your face, who knows what it could do over time! Also because I'm pretty allergic to any harsh cleaners, so I like to use things that get the job done but don't cause any nasty problems.)

This is really useful, I'm going to try it out :)

I'm glad you find it useful! :D

interesting. thanks for the tip!
but erm.... what IS rubbing alcohol?

also, the febreze anti-bacterial i'm using has no warning of harm to people except keep away from small children and avoiding contact with eyes. i just use that and leave it to dry.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubbing_alcohol

I like it cus it gets rid of bacteria, gets rid of oils from sweat, is not harmful to the suit, and doesn't leave a smell behind!

Oh, and it dries SUPER fast too, only takes a few minutes.

Love this!

Question:
What if your head isn't lined?
It is just foam X____X

Same thing applies! 's head isn't lined either and I gave him a full scrub down last month after a ton of people wore him at RF. His head was really greasy and smelly so I did the wash cloth method and it completely got rid of the smell and grease! It works wonders.

thanks so much!

Really great information here!

You're very welcome! :D

How convienient I should find this before I go to Furconz and collect my commissioned suit. I must ask my costume maker what works on it. Much obliged.

Awesome! You're very welcome! :)

I'll send you a picture of me in mine next month. :P

I have heard of people using cheap Vodka to the same effects!

Yeah, I've had quite a few folks tell me that lately too, the party-fursuiters often bring just vodka and keep some set aside for their suit each night and share the rest for drinks. Certainly saves on packing, if it's a bit more expensive. =^.^=

if it helps, the chemical name for rubbing alcohol is methanol. The stuff in drinks like vodka is ethanol. ^!^

Followed this perfectly. even got me a spray bottle at walmart

Excellent!! No more stinky suits

Oh thank god...My friend Steel smells bad...really, really BAD. *Steels Slushie* Come help meh!

DISINFECT! Please! xD

NO KIDDING! HE needs it BAD. But we had no idea how to clean our suits, and were kind of scared too.

Well, this and the next submission in my gallery hopefully helped!

Very much so! He brought the stinky suit to my house and we cleaned it, and Steel went home floofy and smelling like lavender!

Very useful, I will have to give this a try after I get back from Thanksgiving break. I made my suit over the summer, and all I knew to do was use Lysol, but lysol does not smell too great.

Glad you found it helpful! :D

I use a product called Chrisal to help clean my suit

Never heard of it.

Its a probiotic cleaner, and if used right is very good

You can also stick your head in the freezer for a few days to kill bacteria. Works like a charm

Eh, I'd rather just disinfect it! Don't want to put mine in a freezer.

Why not? I hear it's good to keep a cool head! lol ^!^

It is something I would need to test, who knows if it is safe for a fursuit. Certain things could crack, such as clay, plastic, resin. Who knows what could happen. Until I have time to test all of the materials and make sure it is safe, I would stick to what I know works.

I agree. Also, freezing to fight bacteria reminds me of Pasteurization. When a liquid is Pasteurized, it is first boiled to kill as many bacteria cells as possible. The liquid is then brought down to a low temperature, so the remaining (living) cells will become dormant. At low temperatures, they won't die, but their reproductive rate will be slowed significantly enough to keep them from becoming harmful, or, as in this case, simply causing a bad oder.

Excellent tutorial. I am in the process of making my first fursuit and was a little puzzled about how to go about cleaning it when I finish it and start using it.

Glad you find it useful! :)

No. Not at all. Febreze is harmful to you and the suit. Do not use febreze.

Most people use febreze but it can damage your suit over time.
It even says on the label that it is not to be used on clothing or contact with skin.

I would be really careful doing this. Alcohol can damage certain plastics. Even if plastics seem impervious to liquids, it doesn't mean that they are, and alcohol could break down the plastic over time.

Alcohol degrades certain plastics while others are not affected. Many plastics such as vinyl, nylon and polyethylenes (used in bottles) are not affected. Unfortunately, acrylic fibers used for faux fur and polyurethane foam are affected by alcohol to some extent. Some fibers might be more resistant than others, it depends on how it's made and what additives they use during the manufacturing process.

Plastic stuff isn't all made out of plastic either, it usually has additives such as color pigments, plasticizers (which make them flexible) and fillers, among other things. Vinyl and polyester resin (clear or colored solid parts) are not affected by alcohol, but the alcohol can leach the additives out of the mix, leaving a chalky or milky appearance. The color changes you might have noticed on old computer cases, this is caused by the additives in the plastic breaking down over time, not the plastic itself.

On the inside of the fursuit fabric and head I think it's probably OK to do this, but on the outside I would avoid using alcohol on any plastic parts like claws, eyes or teeth or on any airbrushed or painted areas. Don't douse the whole thing in alcohol.

Definitely test an inconspicuous area of the fursuit first, and let it dry completely, to check, before applying any chemicals. If you don't notice any changes, it's probably OK to use alcohol.

You may also want to ask the manufacturer of acrylic and foam materials if they are compatible with different chemicals you intend to use on them.

source: I used to be in charge of quality control at a plastics manufacturing plant.

Very interesting stuff! Thanks for the info. :)

From my research, I have found that most of the fursuiters who use the alcohol method of disinfectant are the "pro" fursuiters, the ones who have been at this for 10+ years, and also professional mascots! So I'm assuming they know what they're talking about and have done tests.

But to be sure, I will be doing some tests myself with some various fur fabrics and straight alcohol. I will douse them and lay them out to dry (probably will do this a few times) and see if there are any changes.

I've been doing this for a few years now and haven't noticed any ill effects what-so-ever (even rubbing down the outside of the fur with the alcohol) so I THINK it should be okay on fur! But I will do some tests.

Thanks again for the info! :)

It's probably OK to do especially if you test it first, but I think you should put this out there, because of the huge variety of materials you see in fursuits and the many different sources people use for those materials... including USED couch cushions... yuck.

And considering the nature of the furry fandom where people tend to do stupid things with some regularity, it should be mentioned, that there are things you shouldn't do... like don't do this around open flame for example, alcohol is flammable, and it's worse when you spray it as a fine mist.

I'm interested to see the results of your test, especially if there are different brands that you could test. I kind of suspect the better brands will be more resistant but I don't know about the cheaper. Test the foam too if you use foam. I suspect it will actually be more sensitive than the fibers.

Update: just doused 5 different pieces of fur and a chunk of foam, waiting for them to dry now :)
Will probably keep repeating the experiment and see if I get any effects.

I have been repeatedly dousing and drying several different types of fur and a piece of foam for a while now, I have done it at least 5 times. No effects what-so-ever. Just wanted to let you know :)

I use " Multi-Surface Cleaner, Botanical Disinfecting, Lemongrass & Thyme".

Thanks for this. I'm very-very picky with it comes to smells and I really like to smell nice, in and out of suit. My personal method, if I really can't tell if I smell, because I'm anal like that, I may just ask another fursuiter or someone out of suit to smell me and just flat out tell me. I won't take offense, lol. I want to smell nice. I also need to buy some underarmor.

My original head I first made needs a good-good spray down with alcohol, because it has a funk to it. (Extremely guilty, now) So, I think I'll go do that right now! 8) Thanks for this wonderful guide, hon! I plan to be a nice smelling suit!

Excellent, glad you found it useful :)

Will this method work for suits that have a stale smoke smell? I just got a used partial and the previous owner apparently smoked in their house and the suit absorbed the smell. I used the other tutorial on the other parts but will this method for the head help get rid of the smell?

Honestly not sure. You can try it. Putting a dryer sheet or two with the suit parts may help absorb the odor as well.

Do not use Fabreeze! Other then the facts you already stated, one of the main ingredients is corn!

I have to park in a grass lot in college and I put my head (freshly sprayed with fabreeze)in the trunk for a 3 hour trip. Once there, I learned my car had ant inside and they had infested my head in that short amount of time, using the fabreeze as food. Thankfully they were easier than expected to remove and the head is totally fine now.

I know this won't happen to everyone, but if anyone stores their suit in a garage or shed should be weary!

(I'm also getting a bottle ready for FWA ;3 Gotta keep them suits clean!)

Oh goodness, that is AWFUL! Yet another reason not to ever use febreze, gosh! :(

She's okay though! We sprayed lysol in her head and put her in a trash bad outside. All the ants just kind of left :3 then we just suctioned out any dead ones and then good as new!

First of all, like the others, I want to thank you for posting this. I'm in the process of commissioning my first fursuit head. I asked the maker about keeping the head clean, and she a link to this page, for me. ^!^

Second, I'm thinking it might be helpful to cover the eyes while cleaning the head, to prevent any accidental exposure to the alcohol; especially from spraying. Paper towels should do the job just fine. Cotton rounds, used for removing nail polish, might be convenient, if the eyes are no larger than that size. I would avoid using any kind of tape to hold the masking material (paper towels, etc.) in place, as the adhesives may not be compatible with one or more of the materials in and around the eyes. Just some thoughts that came to me while I was reading this. ^!^

Well, you'd have to cover them from the inside since it's the inside of the head that's being sprayed and that seems like it would be a bit difficult without using tape! There's not really a way to keep it in place.

I have never had a single issue and I've sprayed my heads more times than I can count, along with friends' and customers' heads. Just be careful, that's all!

Thanks, but I'm a clutz. lol I'll use a test spot let you know if I find a foam-friendly adhesive. Also, I doubt that simple masking tapes would do any damage to a material like the balaclava that you use. ^!^

Yeah, masking tape would be fine! The balaclava is attached to the inside of the head and there is not very much foam at all visible so there would be no issue with that.

Still, cleaning that method would be a hassle, especially at a con. I wouldn't expect most people to do that, but if it works for you, go for it :)

Yeah, I know what you mean. I figure at a con I'll try letting gravity hold the paper towels in place. *shrugs*

adding to favorites so i can find it when i go to cons XD it seems fairly simple to use so i will try it next round :)

Excellent! :)

what would you use to clean the fur on the head?
I've heard many methods to this, i just want to know yours.

I've washed a fursuit head before: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10326457/

But mine have never really been dirty, so I've never had to clean them. Just water and a washcloth is the most I've had to do. However, I have heard good things about Folex carpet cleaner, though I've never used it myself. Sorry I can't help more!

Awwww Thanks Slushie!!! great advice :D

You're welcome! :D

Just to add to a little (my 2 cents as it were) if you did want a scent other than wintergreen Aqua Velva works good if mixed with the alcohol. The way I do it is 60% IPA 20% AV and 20% water. It works on the inside of suits very well, however i would not use it on the outside as the coloring on the AV might stick to your fur and discolor it. A little aside though it also works good on windows, showers, and waxed floors. :)

Anything that would discolor the fur is something I would not use :)

This. Yes.

Wow, thanks so much for this! It helps a lot!

Just wanted you to know how helpful this is!
I got my suit on Halloween, so I've only worn it 5-6 times, but I do this afterwards and have had no problems!

On time I wore it as a partial for just 30 minutes or so, so I didn't bother cleaning it out, but I put the head on later that week and it was pretty stinky, but I did this and it smelled better fast. C':

Very helpful, and I'll be sure to follow your other tutorial when it comes time to wash my suit.

Thanks for this. I'll have to remember this once I get mine. Whenever I get the money.

I've used the 91% alcohol pretty much since I've had my suit, 4 years. However I don't dilute it. (maybe I should) I've never had bad results. One thng your tute did mention, that I had not thought, was to keep it from the eyes, as it could damage the masking/paint. I will definately change the routine next time.

A friend of mine swears by using Vodka. Cheap stuff. He says he's used it for 10 years. It must work, as I've never detected much foul suit odor, just the beers he likes to drink!

Great tutorial!

You don't really have to dilute it! Glad to hear it has been working well for you :)
And yes, cheap vodka works much the same as long as it doesn't have flavoring or sugar in it!

this seems extremely helpful... my suit got stuck in someones basement and the basement partially flooded, and now its damp and smell of mildew, so im going to dry it out and try this method of cleaning, hope it works!

Also infinitly more helpful then when i asked the guy who MADE my suit how to fix this problem, his response was "Trying to repair a head from extensive water damage is not a good idea. And that isn't something you want to be putting on your head as it can make you sick. To be honest, I can't really give you any advice... other than you shouldn't leave fursuits in wet places. "

I wish you the best of luck and hope it works out.
If you need additional help, please let me know. I have washed a few fursuit heads before with good results, I could be able to help you too.
Definitely try lots of disinfecting first and keep it on a fan for a while.

well its been overnight, in a couple hours im going to go buy alcohol and start cleaning it, the head seems to have dried out a bit (i dont own a fan, and have no means ot obtain one anytime soon) but the paws, specifically the handpaws, are still absolutly soaked through, and the tail is still VERY wet as well.

I know I'm not getting my fursuit until March, but... I'm guessing this Isopropyl Alcohol/Water solution would be safe to spray into feetpaws as well?

Absolutely! :)

Sweeeet. Thanks again for doing my suit ref - and your suit cleaning/care tutorials are the bomb diggity!

As a future Fursuiter, hopefully in time for MFF this year, I've been thinking about this method of disinfecting him after use.

One question I have though, is Would it be a good idea to mix in a fragrance of some sort, like mint, with diluted alcohol?

I'll definitely reference this tutorial during MFF and future cons where I'm suiting

I have heard of people adding scents successfully, you just have to be sure it is safe for the fabric, won't leave an oily residue, etc.

I'll see what I can come up with.

Thanks for your advice, and I may see you at MFF if you're going.

Thanks for noting that "Febreze is BAD" thing. I dunno about anyone else, but that stuff can put me in the hospital if I'm around it for more than a few minutes. Using something to actually CLEAN a suit intead of only masking the smell just seems sensible.

...plus there's no $50k apologies neededafter the emergency room.


Clean is good.

It makes me sad, but there are still tons of people who swear by febreze! Guys, you're not doing anything but harm to you and your suit :(

...and friends/fans who suffer respiratory problems.

I do use febreeze anti-bacterial spray as instructed by my fursuit maker. I don't really have any foam other then my leg padding as my base is resin so I don't have that to worry about. The anti-bacterial does kill things unlike the normal febreze.

Here is some information on why you should not use febreze: http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/febreze.html

Besides that, it will also leave a greasy residue buildup over time, slowly eat away at the foam, and possibly through the fur backing as well. It is a very harsh chemical not suited for contact with skin or being inhaled.

For more information please visit www.CleanFursuits.weebly.com

It says on my thing safe for almost all fabrics. And I've never felt anything greasy from it. It's anti-bacterial, not the normal stuff, and I only ever spray a tiny bit in my head and it dries fast. Also I wear underarmour so I never touch it

Well, its up to you if you want to use it or not. I can't stop you. I just provided you with useful information.
I know from personal experience that it eventually deteriorates foam AND fur over time & is not safe for use/inhaling.

I wouldn't trust that Febreze link on one basis alone already. It lists Propylene Glycol as a dangerous chemical when it has been studied heavily and found to be harmless.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.as.....20&tid=240

That isn't to say though, that Febreze might not be bad for your fursuit in the long run.

It also lists this as an ingredient in Febreze:
Alcohol denatured - Also disclosed in the ingredients of Febreze, it's linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, organ system toxicity and skin, eyes and lung irritator

That is exactly what isopropyl alcohol aka rubbing alcohol is.

Little late here, but I've been using antimicrobial Febreeze so far (it's not easily found in stores, so I have to order it) from the recommendations of many online tutorials on fursuit cleaning. Only now have I seen a couple list Febreeze as "bad". They all seem to point to http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/febreze.html as the only source for that info. If anyone has personal experience on antimicrobial Febreeze (not the normal Febreeze) degrading fabrics, I'd like to hear them. Thanks for the tutorial!

I'm certainly not an expert by any means on febreze and its ingredients, but if one type is harmful and potentially toxic I'm willing to assume others are as well.
If there's better and safer alternatives out there, why use something that could be bad?
If you find out anything else let me know, I would love to learn!

Well, one other person told me yesterday that isopropyl will dissolve the dye on faux fur. If you've tested it already, I'm probably going to do with your results. Maybe it's dangerous for airbrushed patterns only.

It will certainly affect airbrushed furs.
However I have left scraps of regular fur soaking in it for hours to no ill effects whatsoever.