Fursuit cleaning--isopropyl alcohol or antimicrobial Febreez
10 years ago
No, I'm not asking how to do it. I spray down my suit after every outing. From the research I did earlier, a lot of people have recommending a light spraying of anitmicrobial Febreeze (it's tough to find in stores so I usually have to order it). However, just recently I was looking again and a couple of sites are now claiming that stuff will damage fabrics over time. The only source for this is http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/febreze.html. Honestly, that site doesn't seem reliable at all - the kind that claims that "all chemicals are bad".
Does anyone else have some information on this or personal experience?
Isopropyl alcohol in a 50/50 mix with water is recommended instead. The lack of a light fragrance will be missed, but I can deal with that. However, isopropyl MAY damage some plastics, but it's hard to tell because many plastics are unaffected. Some faux fur or adhesives could be damaged I suppose.
I'm starting to panic now!
Does anyone else have some information on this or personal experience?
Isopropyl alcohol in a 50/50 mix with water is recommended instead. The lack of a light fragrance will be missed, but I can deal with that. However, isopropyl MAY damage some plastics, but it's hard to tell because many plastics are unaffected. Some faux fur or adhesives could be damaged I suppose.
I'm starting to panic now!
FA+

If your suit (and your laundry facilities) can handle going through a washing machine, that's your best bet to remove funk, as every other method will leave behind residue (just be sure to use a gentle detergent).
Short of that, I prefer Lysol (which is ethanol based and less harmful) on the inside parts (aka fabric-only) surfaces. For the outside, A *very* light spray and brushing with original Armor-All will make your suit look amazing. Febreze can be used, just in small quantities. Don't overdo it.
And when all else fails, testing with either leftover fabric or a barely noticeable part of the suit is always the safest course.
Good luck!