Hello!
After having so much fur wrecked now, I've finally worked out a reliable way to restore crumpled / scrunched-up / squished fur. Have you incorrectly stored your fur? Has some relative mashed it up because you left it lying around? Or perhaps that discount fabric you found on the internet came in a box that was too small for it? Boy have I got a solution for you. Some of this came from other people's suggestions! Do let me know if something sounds familiar so I can credit you. =3
~Actual Storage Suggestion~
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Faux fur should be lightly rolled up and set away in a sturdy box, preferably on-top of everything so the box doesn't get crushed or weight put on it. Alternatively, hang it up in a closet on some coat hangers, the ones with the clippies on the underside, generally used for hanging up pants. Even then this is no guarantee. If you store this fur for months, it may eventually settle and perhaps crimp up.
If you discover that the lovely fur you had in storage is all crunched up and wrinkled, here's what you do.
Do you have a smaller piece (ie: less than one yard) Or a big piece?
~Small Piece Salvage~
----------------------
1 - Lay it out. See how much you have. Lay it flat.
2 - Go to the bathtub in your house. Run a bath at about the same temperature as you like it or a bit cooler. Lukewarm is less effective, it should have some heat in it. Do not use raw hot water, you risk melting the pile.
3 - Drop your fur in. Add the tiniest amount of laundry liquid if you like (Woolite is good, so is Earth Brand washing liquid. As long as it doesn't have bleach and phosphorous in it, you're good). Remember the way the pile is facing before you drop it in!
4 - Once it's all soaking and cosy and warmed up, get your hand in there and begin to pat the pile down. Smooth it down with your hand, like you'd pat a cat. Don't have to be too rough.
5 - Flatten your fur-pile down and leave it soaking in the nice warm bath for about an hour or so. Flatten your fur-pile down about every 15 minutes or so, or as many times as you think it may need it.
6 - Grab the side or top edge of the fur - whichever is shorter (a complete bolt-length is typically about 60" across, if you've cut into it, chances are it won't be this length any more).
7 - pat the fur pile down in the direction it is meant to go in as you roll it up.
8 - Very gently squish the water out of it. I put my wet fur roll on the bathroom floor and push down on it, the water drains off into the drain.
9 - Carry your soaking wet log of fur outside and unroll it, pile direction facing the ground. Hang it up on the clothes line, then pat the pile down again. You want the soaking wet fur to pull straight under it's own weight.
10 - Let nature do its thing! Every hour or so, come out to check on it. Give it a light brushing. Do this until it dries!
Your fur should be pretty fluffy, and very close to it's original non scrunched up state. If you have a big piece though... you're gonna have a few more problems.
~Large Piece Salvage~
----------------------
(I found this less effective, but if you don't want to cut up a big piece, you don't have much alternative)
1 - Lay it out. See how much you have. Lay it flat.
2 - Go to your washing machine. Put it on the rinse cycle, put it on the max capacity setting, using lukewarm water.
3 - add the tiniest amount of detergent (f you want) and drop your fur in.
4 - The agitation of the washing machine will do roughly the same work as you flattening the pile, believe it or not!
5 - Let the spin dry cycle occur.
(( NOTE: You DO want the spin cycle to occur, even if yours is aggressive. I attempted to hang out 3 yards of soggy wet fur and it weighed about 30lb... impossible to pick up....))
6 - Stop the spin dry cycle when your fur is safe/light enough for you to pick up.
7 - Hang it out on the line to dry, combing the pile down flat. If you reach a troublesome spot, have a bucket of warm water handy so you can dip your hand in and wet the pile so it brushes flat easier.
10 - Let nature do its thing! Every hour or so, come out to check on it. Give it a light brushing. Do this until it dries!
If you have some other insight to add, please do!
After having so much fur wrecked now, I've finally worked out a reliable way to restore crumpled / scrunched-up / squished fur. Have you incorrectly stored your fur? Has some relative mashed it up because you left it lying around? Or perhaps that discount fabric you found on the internet came in a box that was too small for it? Boy have I got a solution for you. Some of this came from other people's suggestions! Do let me know if something sounds familiar so I can credit you. =3
~Actual Storage Suggestion~
---------------------------
Faux fur should be lightly rolled up and set away in a sturdy box, preferably on-top of everything so the box doesn't get crushed or weight put on it. Alternatively, hang it up in a closet on some coat hangers, the ones with the clippies on the underside, generally used for hanging up pants. Even then this is no guarantee. If you store this fur for months, it may eventually settle and perhaps crimp up.
If you discover that the lovely fur you had in storage is all crunched up and wrinkled, here's what you do.
Do you have a smaller piece (ie: less than one yard) Or a big piece?
~Small Piece Salvage~
----------------------
1 - Lay it out. See how much you have. Lay it flat.
2 - Go to the bathtub in your house. Run a bath at about the same temperature as you like it or a bit cooler. Lukewarm is less effective, it should have some heat in it. Do not use raw hot water, you risk melting the pile.
3 - Drop your fur in. Add the tiniest amount of laundry liquid if you like (Woolite is good, so is Earth Brand washing liquid. As long as it doesn't have bleach and phosphorous in it, you're good). Remember the way the pile is facing before you drop it in!
4 - Once it's all soaking and cosy and warmed up, get your hand in there and begin to pat the pile down. Smooth it down with your hand, like you'd pat a cat. Don't have to be too rough.
5 - Flatten your fur-pile down and leave it soaking in the nice warm bath for about an hour or so. Flatten your fur-pile down about every 15 minutes or so, or as many times as you think it may need it.
6 - Grab the side or top edge of the fur - whichever is shorter (a complete bolt-length is typically about 60" across, if you've cut into it, chances are it won't be this length any more).
7 - pat the fur pile down in the direction it is meant to go in as you roll it up.
8 - Very gently squish the water out of it. I put my wet fur roll on the bathroom floor and push down on it, the water drains off into the drain.
9 - Carry your soaking wet log of fur outside and unroll it, pile direction facing the ground. Hang it up on the clothes line, then pat the pile down again. You want the soaking wet fur to pull straight under it's own weight.
10 - Let nature do its thing! Every hour or so, come out to check on it. Give it a light brushing. Do this until it dries!
Your fur should be pretty fluffy, and very close to it's original non scrunched up state. If you have a big piece though... you're gonna have a few more problems.
~Large Piece Salvage~
----------------------
(I found this less effective, but if you don't want to cut up a big piece, you don't have much alternative)
1 - Lay it out. See how much you have. Lay it flat.
2 - Go to your washing machine. Put it on the rinse cycle, put it on the max capacity setting, using lukewarm water.
3 - add the tiniest amount of detergent (f you want) and drop your fur in.
4 - The agitation of the washing machine will do roughly the same work as you flattening the pile, believe it or not!
5 - Let the spin dry cycle occur.
(( NOTE: You DO want the spin cycle to occur, even if yours is aggressive. I attempted to hang out 3 yards of soggy wet fur and it weighed about 30lb... impossible to pick up....))
6 - Stop the spin dry cycle when your fur is safe/light enough for you to pick up.
7 - Hang it out on the line to dry, combing the pile down flat. If you reach a troublesome spot, have a bucket of warm water handy so you can dip your hand in and wet the pile so it brushes flat easier.
10 - Let nature do its thing! Every hour or so, come out to check on it. Give it a light brushing. Do this until it dries!
If you have some other insight to add, please do!