How to Clean a Faux Fur Plush Without Ruining the Coat
Updated 2026-08-07
Spot-clean faux fur plush by hand with cool water and a drop of mild detergent, blot it dry, then brush the coat back into direction while it is still damp. Machine washing is what mats the fur, and once the fibre curls, brushing will not fully bring it back.
Why machine washing mats faux fur
Faux fur is a knitted backing with fibres anchored into it. A washing machine does two things at once that the fibre cannot survive: it tumbles the pile against itself, and it heats it. Heat relaxes the fibre so it loses the straight set it was cut with, and tumbling tangles the relaxed fibre into knots. That combination is what people describe as a plush "going frizzy" — and it is close to permanent.
Hand cleaning avoids both. Nothing tumbles, and nothing gets hot.
Spot-cleaning, step by step
- Mix cool water with a single drop of mild detergent. Wool wash works well; skip anything with bleach or a brightener.
- Dip a cloth, wring it until it is barely damp, and work only on the soiled area. Do not saturate the backing — water in the stuffing takes days to leave and can smell.
- Rinse by blotting with a second cloth dampened in clean water.
- Press with a dry towel to pull the moisture out. Do not wring or twist the piece.
- While the fur is still damp, brush it in the direction it naturally lies. A pet slicker brush with the tips guarded, or a wide-tooth comb, both work.
Let the piece air-dry away from direct sun and away from a radiator. Sun fades the fibre, and a radiator does the same damage as a dryer.
Fixing fur that is already matted
Matting is recoverable to a point. Work in small sections with a wide-tooth comb, starting at the fibre tips and moving toward the backing, so you are not dragging the whole knot at once. A light mist of water helps the fibre relax enough to separate. What will not come back is fibre that has been heat-curled — if the tips have kinked into tight coils, brushing will thin the pile before it straightens it.
For a piece with a hand-shaded face, keep water off the shading entirely. Shading sits on the surface of the fibre and a wet cloth will lift it.
What about the leather-look parts
Horns, hooves, and paw pads in a leather-look finish should be wiped with a dry or barely damp cloth only. Detergent dulls the surface, and soaking can stiffen it as it dries.
Questions
- Can you put a faux fur plush in the washing machine?
- Not without risking the coat. Tumbling and heat together mat the fibre, and heat-curled fibre does not brush back straight. Spot-clean by hand with cool water instead.
- How do you fix matted faux fur on a plush?
- Work in small sections with a wide-tooth comb, starting at the fibre tips and moving toward the backing. A light mist of water helps. Fibre that has been curled by heat will not fully recover.
- Can you use a hair dryer to speed up drying?
- No. A dryer or hair dryer applies the same heat that causes matting in the first place. Air-dry away from sun and radiators.