Did I ruin the collar on this coat?

February 3, 2013 7:26 AM

I forgot to remove the fake fur collar on this coat. It made it through the washer OK, so I then stupidly put it into the dryer after that. The fake fur came out of the dryer all matted, curled up and locked up. Can I undo the damage?

Right now, I have it soaking in a basin of water with a liberal dose of hair conditioner. I'm hoping that will help release the fibers and restore them to their fake-furry wonderfulness. Is there anything else I can do?

posted by Neeuq Nus to clothing, beauty, & fashion (9 answers total)

I did the same thing with my daughter's hoodie. Honestly, I think the fibers melt together for good in the dryer but I had a small amount of success with vigorously using a brush to separate some of the 'fur.' Maybe try brushing it out with the conditioner?
posted by tenaciousmoon at 7:39 AM on February 3

I don't think hair conditioner will help. It can sometimes help a little with wool because wool is, after all, a type of hair. Your best bet is to let it dry and then try brushing it out with a stiff brush. It may help to trim off the tips of the fiber, which would give you a shorter, less floofy look but may be better than scrapping the whole jacket.
posted by drlith at 7:40 AM on February 3 [1 favorite]

Sorry, it's probably melted -- I would suggest that you use a fine-tooth comb to try to remove the most matted bits, and then use the brush to fluff it back out... probably won't look the same but it's worth a shot.
posted by sm1tten at 8:11 AM on February 3

If the re-combed fur looks a little too crappy, you can replace the fur. Go to any fabric store buy replace fur fabric and maybe use velcro to attach it so that you can easily remove when it's time to wash the coat.
posted by shoesietart at 8:16 AM on February 3 [3 favorites]

Probably couldn't hurt to give Land's End a call. Doubt they'd be able to send you a new fur hood, but they generally have a good reputation for customer service and it's worth a shot.
posted by belau at 9:55 AM on February 3 [1 favorite]

It sounds like it's felted, which is not un-doable. Sorry. belau has a great idea of contacting Lands End, they do have excellent customer service.
posted by donajo at 11:26 AM on February 3

When I worked at a drycleaner, and with vintage clothing, sometimes faux fur could be revived with a slicker brush. Since it's already damaged, it might not hurt more to try it if you have one. But I'll agree - contact Lands End, they're excellent.
posted by peagood at 12:08 PM on February 3

Your fake fur is likely at least part nylon. Nylon melts at very low temperature. It's toast and there's no fixing it now that the hairs have melted and stuck to each other.
posted by slow graffiti at 2:59 PM on February 3

Thank you all! I will contact Land's End- they typically have excellent customer service. Oh, and as predicted, soaking didn't help at all.
posted by Neeuq Nus at 8:01 AM on February 9