How to Care for Fur and Shearling: Storage, Cleaning and Cold Storage

To store a fur coat, hang it on a broad, shaped hanger inside a breathable cotton cover, keep it somewhere cool, dark and dry, and send it to professional cold storage over summer. Never seal it in plastic. Yves Salomon care labels on fur and shearling say do not wash and do not dry clean, so cleaning goes to a specialist, and the house offers a summer fur storage service.

Key facts

• Labels: the Yves Salomon care labels on fur, shearling and leather pieces read: do not wash, do not bleach, do not tumble dry, do not iron, do not dry clean.
• Specialists only: the labels say to take any animal part to a specialised centre for cleaning.
• Remove first: the house recommends removing collars, hoods, pockets, hooks and buttons before cleaning.
• Wool with fur trim: flannel, cashmere wool and knit pieces with fur collars carry the line “professional cleaning recommended”.
• Summer storage: Yves Salomon offers a summer fur storage service, plus a fur re-cut workshop for reshaping older pieces.
• Detachable trims: many Yves Salomon down jackets and wool coats have removable fur collars, hoods and bibs, which makes care far easier.

How do you store a fur coat at home?

Fur needs air, shape and darkness. Get those three right and a good coat lasts for decades.

1. Use a wide, shaped hanger. A thin wire hanger pushes into the shoulders and leaves a ridge in the pelt. A broad, padded hanger spreads the weight. Fasten the top hook so the front hangs straight.
2. Use a breathable cover. Cotton and linen garment bags let the skin breathe. Plastic traps moisture, which can dry out the leather side and leave the fur limp. Throw away the dry cleaner’s plastic.
3. Give it space. Fur crushed between other coats loses its loft. Leave a hand’s width on each side.
4. Keep it cool, dark and dry. Light fades fur, especially pale mink and fox. Heat dries the skin. Avoid a wardrobe against a radiator wall, a sunny room and a damp cellar.
5. Keep scent away. Spray perfume and hairspray before you put the coat on, never onto it. Alcohol and oils stay in the fur.
6. Do not fold it for long. A short trip in a suitcase is fine. Months folded in a drawer are not.

The same rules apply to a mink jacket, a fox collar and a mink scarf. Smaller pieces such as headbands and earmuffs can lie flat in a box with acid-free tissue.

Should a fur coat go into cold storage over summer?

Yes, if you can. Professional fur storage keeps coats in a cool, dark vault with controlled temperature and humidity, which slows drying of the skin and keeps moths away. A home wardrobe in a hot summer does the opposite. Many specialists will also clean and check the coat before it comes back in autumn.

Yves Salomon offers its own summer fur storage service. Ask a Yves Salomon boutique, since terms vary, and book early in spring. If you do not use storage, keep the coat in the coolest, darkest cupboard you have, in a cotton cover, and check it once a month.

What do you do when fur gets wet?

Fur can take light snow and a short shower. Animals wear it outside, after all. What harms it is heat while it dries.

• Shake the coat to throw off water and snow.
• Hang it on its wide hanger in a room at normal temperature, away from radiators and fires.
• Never use a hairdryer. Never brush wet fur.
• Once it is dry, shake it again to lift the hair.
• If it was soaked through, take it to a fur specialist.

For wet cities, a reversible piece is the practical answer. Yves Salomon cuts jackets and parkas with a water-repellent face on one side and mink on the other, like the short reversible water-repellent jacket. Wear the fabric face out when it rains.

How do you clean a shearling coat?

You do not wash it. Yves Salomon shearling labels say do not wash and do not dry clean, and shearling that goes through a normal wash can shrink, stiffen and lose colour. Day to day, the work is light.

• Air it. Hang it outside the wardrobe for a few hours after a long day of wear.
• Brush dry marks. A soft suede brush lifts dust and light marks from the suede face. Brush in one direction.
• Blot spills at once. Use a clean, dry cloth. Do not rub, and do not add water.
• Fluff the fleece. A wide-tooth comb lifts flattened fleece at the cuffs and collar.
• Specialist once a season. A leather and shearling cleaner can treat oil marks, salt lines and grey patches safely.

Reversible shearling needs care on both faces, since both get worn. If yours is a reversible Toscana coat, brush the suede side and comb the fleece side. For lambskin types and how they wear, see our Yves Salomon shearling guide.

Fur collars, hoods and trims on down jackets

Many Yves Salomon down jackets and wool coats have fur that comes off: mink collars, fox collars, mink hood bibs, lambskin trims. The house recommends removing collars and hoods before cleaning, and this is where detachable fur pays off. The jacket goes to one cleaner; the fur goes to a fur specialist, if it needs cleaning at all.

Take the trim off at the end of the season and store it flat in tissue, then hang the jacket on its own. Pieces such as the long double-breasted flannel down jacket with fox collar carry the line “professional cleaning recommended” for the flannel body. Read our Yves Salomon down jacket guide for the full range.

Leather trousers and skirts

Lambskin trousers and skirts follow the same rule: no washing, no dry cleaning at home, no iron. Hang trousers by the waistband from a clip hanger so the leg falls straight, and hang skirts the same way. Creases relax overnight on the hanger. Our leather trousers and skirts guide covers the styles.

Fur and shearling care at a glance

Easy-care Yves Salomon pieces

1. Reversible Water-Repellent Jacket with Mink Fur in Beige

Wear the treated fabric face out in the rain and the mink face out on dry days. From $12,040.

2. Cropped Cashmere-Blend Blouson with Removable Mink Collar in Brown

The mink collar comes off, so the wool body and the fur are cared for apart. From $5,260.

3. Long Water-Repellent Down Jacket with Mink Fur Bib in Black

A removable mink hood bib on a weather-resistant down coat. From $6,220.

4. Short Flannel Down Jacket with Detachable Fox Fur Collar and Mittens in Beige

Loro Piana flannel with a membrane, and a fox collar that lifts off. From $4,690.

5. Reversible Belted Coat in Toscana Lambskin in White

Unlined and reversible, so either face can rest while the other is worn. From $5,740.

6. A-Line Waterproof Down Jacket with Shearling Bib in Brown

The shearling bib comes out on milder days and for cleaning. From $2,880.

7. Mink Fur Scarf in Brown

At 200 cm long, it rolls into tissue for summer storage in a box. From $5,960.

Frequently asked questions

Can I wash a Yves Salomon fur coat?

No. Yves Salomon care labels on fur say do not wash, do not bleach, do not tumble dry, do not iron and do not dry clean. The labels direct any animal part to a specialised cleaning centre and recommend removing collars, hoods, pockets, hooks and buttons first.

Does Yves Salomon offer fur storage?

Yes. Yves Salomon offers a summer fur storage service, and the house also runs a fur re-cut workshop and made-to-measure. Ask a Yves Salomon boutique about current terms before spring, since storage space is booked ahead.

How should I hang a Yves Salomon mink coat?

Use a broad, padded hanger that supports the full shoulder, fasten the top hook, and cover the coat in a breathable cotton bag. Leave space around it on the rail. Keep a Yves Salomon mink coat away from light, heat and plastic.

How do I clean a Yves Salomon shearling coat?

Do not wash it. Blot spills with a dry cloth, brush dry marks from the suede face with a soft brush, and comb flattened fleece. Take a Yves Salomon shearling coat to a specialist leather and shearling cleaner for oil marks, salt lines and a seasonal clean.

Can a Yves Salomon fur jacket get wet?

Light snow and a short shower are fine. Shake the jacket, hang it at room temperature and let it dry naturally, with no hairdryer and no radiator. For wet climates, a Yves Salomon reversible piece with a water-repellent face is the practical choice.

How do I care for a detachable Yves Salomon fur collar?

Remove the collar before the jacket goes to a cleaner, as Yves Salomon recommends, and store it flat in acid-free tissue at the end of the season. If the fur itself needs cleaning, send it to a fur specialist on its own.

Shop the Yves Salomon edit at Coveti, then read our mink and fur coat guide and does Yves Salomon use real fur?