How to Store Mink Coats in the Summer

A mink coat represents elegance and luxury. An expensive and highly controversial garment, it demands special care and attention year-round. From climate-controlled environments to professional furrier storage, there are many options to consider when storing your collection of mink coats in the summer. If you have just purchased a mink coat and are looking for home storage alternatives for your fur, follow a few important steps to protect your wardrobe investment during the summer months.

Things You'll Need

• Sachet
• Cedar chips
• Cloth or silk garment bag
• Climate-controlled room between 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit

Instructions

1. Clean your mink coat professionally. Fur coats retain the smell of pungent odors like smoke and perfume easily. Select a reputable furrier in your city to clean your mink coat. Unlike dry cleaning, a mink coat is cleaned by an abrasion method. The coat is tumbled in a drum with sawdust to remove oils and dirt.

2. Repair your fur before storage. If you have a white mink coat, due to sunlight yellowing may occur. Your mink coat may also have tears in the lining from frequent wearing. A skilled furrier will add a bleaching agent and sew a matching fur piece into the coat before storing it in the summer.

3. Store your mink coats with a professional furrier. A furrier maintains a climate-controlled facility to store mink coats. To protect the fur from moths and heat damage, a professional furrier keeps the storage room at a temperature between 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. To ensure that the storage facility has adequate room for your mink coat in the summer, inquire about available storage space in March, April or May.

4. Prepare your closet for fur storage. Hang your mink coat using wide wooden hangers to help the coat retain its shape. Adjust the thermostat in your closet to be between 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove any exposed lightbulbs hanging near the mink coat. Enclose the coat in a cotton or silk garment bag to keep the coat from drying out and away from moths.

5. Use natural cedar chips to repel insects. Place a handful of cedar chips into a small sachet. A sachet is a fabric bag that allows the scent of the cedar to permeate the garment bag without damaging the fur. Close the bag with a ribbon. Place the cedar-filled sachet into the garment bag. Using the ribbon, hang the sachet from the top of the wooden hanger. Close the garment bag and hang it into the climate-controlled closet you prepared in Step 4. Cedar chips help to remove any odors trapped in the lining of the coat, but they do not prevent the mink coat from drying out.

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure that the professional fur storage facility is temperature and humidity controlled. Ask your furrier about their insurance coverage concerning stored furs in their facility. When hanging your mink coat in the closet, allow a minimum of 3 inches of space between the fur coat and your other garments.

• Do not attempt to clean your mink coat at home. Do not clean a fur coat more than once a year to preserve the pelts and extend the life of the garment. Monitor the humidity closely to prevent drying out of the fur when storing your mink coat at home.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Fur Information Council of America