Mascot Cleaning and Mascot Care

How To Clean the Head, Feet, or Uni-body Structure of Your Mascot

When it comes to proper mascot care, a wet/dry vacuum will be your best friend. Prepare two spray bottles: One with warm water and about a teaspoon of mild detergent. The other bottle should have plain room temperature or cold water to use as a rinse.
Spray the soapy water on soiled areas and gently scrub to remove dirt. Vacuum up the soapy water and spray the area with the clean water. Continue spraying and vacuuming the water until you’re confident that all of the soapy water is removed. If you don’t manage to remove all of the soapy water you will find that that the area feels filmy to the touch once dry, and it may cause that area to collect dirt faster due to the presence of residue.
If your mascot has airbrushed details you will want to be careful not to remove too much of the paint in those areas.

Depending on what material your mascot is covered with, you may notice that an area that gets wet will dry with a ring around it. If that happens, spray the entire piece with clean water and vacuum out the excess to ensure that everything dries together and avoids rings.

Eyes and other plastic parts of your mascot can get scuffed and dirty. To clean plastic parts, first try wiping them off with a damp cloth. If that doesn’t work, you might have to use something a bit stronger. Small rubbing alcohol wipes can be purchased from most local drug stores and are excellent for removing more stubborn scuffs and other small marks. Just be gentle and always test a small section of any painted area first, as the alcohol may remove paint.
Mascot feet are made in a variety of different ways. If your mascot feet have removable covers, you can detach and wash them just like the jumpsuit and gloves and then secure them back to the foot forms. If your mascot feet don’t have detachable covers then you can clean the outside in the same manner as the head and uni-body mascot costume cleaning instructions above.

Cleaning the Jumpsuit, Gloves, Clothing, and Inner Body of Your Mascot

The jumpsuit, gloves, and clothing of your mascot can usually be machine washed in cold water and then hung to dry. If your mascot has a removable tail then you should detach the tail from the jumpsuit and clean it the same way you would the outside of the head. If your mascot has hand sewn spots or details (spikes, lumps, claws, etc.), you are better off to hand wash these pieces and use a washing machine to spin the excess water out before hanging the items to dry.
Mascot inner bodies can usually be machine washed in cold water and hung to dry. If your inner body has tubing, you should ALWAYS remove the tubing before washing and then return the tubing into the inner body after it’s dried.
NOTE: If you are not sure whether parts of your mascot clothing have been dyed, it’s a good idea to wash all parts separately to avoid color bleeding. Dry cleaning a mascot is almost never recommended as the chemicals used in the dry cleaning process can harm the mascot.

General Mascot Cleaning and Care Tips:

If your mascot is made of Antron fleece (Muppet type fabric), you may find over time that the fabric gets very matted and needs a bit of a lift. You can use the hook side of a piece of Velcro and work it over the fabric gently to lift the “fuzz” and bring the fabric back to life. DO NOT brush Antron fleece when cleaning a mascot, as it will damage the fabric and make it very difficult to achieve the Muppet type of look again.

Faux fur mascots regularly need their fur brushed (especially after washing) in order to maintain a fluffy fresh look. This can easily be achieved by using a wire pet brush and gently going over the head and body parts. Just be careful not to over-brush, or you may end up with bald spots!

If your mascot has Velcro closures, you may find over time that the hook side of the Velcro gets filled with lint or fur from the mascot. You can clean the hook side of the Velcro by using a wire pet brush and gently brushing the Velcro.
It’s always a good idea to wipe the soles of your mascot feet after each use to keep them looking clean.

Gum and other sticky treats are a common problem with mascot costumes so it’s a good idea to have some Goo Gone on hand to remove them. Just be sure to first test an area of the fabric that is on the inside of a hem to make sure the product won’t negatively affect the fabric.

Give the inside of the head a wipe with a damp cloth after each use to keep the mascot fresh between professional cleaning.

ALWAYS lay your mascot out to dry after using it. Let air circulate and dry the costume completely before packing it up. As a general rule, your mascot should only be packed up to get it from point A to point B. If you have the space, keep your mascot out and exposed to air at all times.