Mink Coat Storage: Protect and Store Mink Coats in the Summer

Posted by Women's Designer Clothing Editor in Coats & Outerwear, fur coats, Style Tips for Women, Wardrobe Basics

Protect your mink coat from damage this winter using these 9 expert storage tips!

A mink coat is more than a glamorous style statement.

For some, wearing an opulent fur coat is a symbol of wealth and elegance. But to vegans and animal rights activists, mink coats worn by celebrities and socialites are a symbol of animal cruelty.

To modern collectors and fur enthusiasts, protecting and storing your mink coat is necessary to have a lifetime of wear during the cold winter season.

Mink coats are known for their soft underfur and dense hair that is soft to the touch.

While the types of fur coats vary around the globe, a mink coat properly stored ensures that your coat will not shed or become damaged during the summer months.

Use the following suggestions to protect and store your mink coat this summer.

Choose the right storage for maximum protection of your mink coat. Stashing your mink away in the wrong manner can be a costly and disastrous experience. Store it away from heat in a well-ventilated and cool closet.
Hang your mink on a large hanger. Fur coat storage starts by hanging the coat on a wide hanger in a closet. Too often fur coats are hung between other garments causing the natural fibers to become creased or bent. Avoid crushing the coat together with other garments
Keep your mink away from sunlight or exposed light bulbs in your closet. Exposure to sunlight or heat from light bulbs over time can damage an expensive coat beyond belief. Sunlight causes the fur to oxidize and fade. If your coat sleeves or the collars and cuffs are exposed the heat, the mink coat placed in self storage can quickly become a faded disaster. Always hang your fur coat in a dark closet.
If you own a white mink , yellowing may occur because of the sunlight. Due to frequent wearing, your mink may have tears in the lining . A furrier will a sew a matching fur piece into the coat or add a bleaching agent to whiten the mink, before summer storage.

mink coat storage Mink Coat Storage: Protect and Store Mink Coats in the Summer

Move your coat to a professional storage facility for the warmer months. Fur service establishments such as a local dry cleaners typically store your coat in an air-conditioned room or a cool basement. While this is a better option than home storage, it does not protect the hide from moth damage or drying. A dried hide will eventually crack and result in excessive shedding of your fine fur coat.
Store your mink in a fur vault. A vault with circulating air kept at 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit temperature and a 50% level humidity will preserve your fur coat indefinitely. Check the terms of the storage company’s insurance coverage to understand how you will be compensated in the event your coat is damaged. Fur vault storage companies typically offer the nominal insurance coverage for furs in storage; but for a small fee you may want to add further coverage. In addition insure your fur for its replacement value on your homeowner’s insurance policy.
Clean your fur jacket before putting it in long-term storage. Particles of dust settle down in the hairs and rest on the leather base of the mink. This dust mixed with the natural oils of the fur will result in the skin’s drying and cracking.
Never store your coat in a plastic bag as it will crush the fur. Your mink coat needs to breathe. If you choose home storage for your mink, wrap it in a silk or cotton garment bag. Allow 3 to 4 inches of space between your mink and the other garments hanging in your closet.
Add a cedar sachet for home storage. While keeping the circulating air between 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit temperature, add a cedar-filled sachet to the wooden hanger to keep moths away.

To increase the usable lifetime of your mink coat and protect its value, give it a cool summer vacation. By storing your mink coat correctly each summer, it will maintain that glossy, silky look for years to come.