Winter coats with fur trims: discover how to wash them at home the right way
Padded winter coats that protect us from the biting cold are garments that we need to treat with great care, including when it is time to wash them. They can be made of various materials, usually delicate, and they must be washed more carefully than many other garments that we put into the washing machine without thinking twice. And if they have fur trims - even synthetic fur - there is a risk of ruining it.
Of course, you can take the coat to the cleaners, but it is possible to clean them at home too (unless the label specifically says "dry clean only"). Read on to find out how:
Creativo
What you will need:
- A very large basin, or better still, the bathtub for big coats
- A soft bristled brush
- (Optional) a wide-toothed comb
- Very delicate laundry detergent: the one used for woolen or delicate garments, or plain Marseille soap
- (Optional) Hair conditioner
How to proceed:
Washing must be by hand. Some people experiment using gentle machine washes, but if you're unsure of the results, avoid doing this.
- Fill the basin or bathtub with cold water - enough water to immerse the coat;
- Pour in 2 tablespoons of mild detergent and mix by hand;
- Immerse the coat, and let it soak for 15 minutes;
- Lift the coat out of the basin (or tub) and empty it;
- Gently squeeze the coat between your hands, slowly working the water out of each section of the garment, without twisting or squeezing too hard;
- Fill the basin again with cold water and rinse the coat until no more soap comes out of it;
- In a bathtub you can also run the water directly from the shower head and always compress the coat gently to get all the soap out;
- If the fur was particularly dirty, wash it with a drop of hair conditioner and rubbing gently;
- Drain all the water from the basin/tub and compress the coat again in order to get out as much water as possible. If you need to squeeze the coat, always do it very gently;
- You can help absorb even more water by gently rolling the coat inside large clean towels (beach towels, for example);
- Put the coat to dry flat on a robust drying rack or clothes horse. Alternatively, if the coat is not too heavy, you can also put it on a shaped and padded hanger (so as not to deform the shoulders);
- Most likely, the garment will continue to drip for a while, so place a basin underneath it to collect the water;
- If you see that the fur part is knotted, very carefully use the wide-toothed comb to detangle it;
- Run the soft bristle brush over the fur to finish "combing" it as the coat dries.
Now you will have to wait for the coat to dry completely, and if necessary, use the brush on the fur again. Have you ever tried to wash your winter coats at home?
