Care and storage
How to clean and care for a mascot costume
A mascot costume is made for regular work, and a few simple habits keep it looking good for longer. Here is a care routine for every part — the head, the fur, the suit, the gloves and the shoes — plus storage and transport.
Carnival Mascot Team
Our mascot costumes are built for regular professional use: heads on shaped foam frames, shoes on polyurethane soles. How long a costume lasts depends on how often it works and how it is looked after. The good news is that the care routine is short — most of it is about drying and storing the costume properly.
Care instructions come with every costume. They say which parts can be washed, and how. This guide covers the habits that apply to any mascot; for washing, always follow the instructions for your model.
Rule number one: dry it after every event
A performer works hard inside a costume, and the suit, the head and the gloves take in moisture. After every event, let the head, the jumpsuit and the gloves air-dry completely before you pack them.
- Take the costume apart — head, suit, gloves, shoes — so air can reach every part.
- Let everything dry in the air, away from heaters and direct sun.
- Pack the costume only when it is completely dry.
If you have back-to-back events, this is where a second costume helps: on busy weekends, rotate two costumes instead of wearing one all day, so each has time to dry.
The head: keep the shape
The head is the most complex part of a mascot. It is built on a shaped foam frame, often with PE foam inserts, covered with faux fur, fleece or fabric, and finished with the eyes, the nose, the ears and other details, many of them painted by hand.
- Never put the head in a washing machine.
- Let it dry in the air like the rest of the costume.
- Store it on a stand or filled with paper, or in its box, so the frame is not crushed and keeps its shape.
- Keep it away from heaters, open flames and long exposure to direct sun.
If a detail comes loose or the frame gets damaged, send us photos with the product article or your invoice number, and we will agree a solution with you.
Faux fur and the suit
Our costumes are made with faux fur, fleece and other fabrics — no animal fur. To keep faux fur fluffy, brush it gently after it has dried.
Which parts of the suit and the outfit can be washed, and how, is stated in the care instructions for your costume. If you are not sure, ask your manager before you wash anything: send the model name or article and a photo of the part. It is worth checking first — the warranty does not cover damage caused by washing or storage contrary to the care instructions.
Gloves and shoes
Character gloves are worn right against the performer’s hands, so dry them after every event, like the suit.
Character shoes are usually a foam frame covered with fabric on polyurethane soles. Let them dry with the rest of the costume and store them so nothing heavy presses on them and they keep their shape.
Storage between events
Every costume ships in a box, inside a dust- and water-resistant cover bag with handles. Keep the bag — it is the costume’s home between events.
- Store the costume in its cover bag in a dry place.
- Keep the head on a stand, filled with paper or in its box.
- Keep the costume away from heaters, open flames and long direct sun.
- Put everything away only when it is completely dry.
Transport to events
The cover bag with handles is also the easy way to carry the costume to an event. Pack the head so nothing heavy lies on it: in its box, or on top of the load rather than underneath.
If your mascot travels a lot, you can order a carry case for transport as an option — ask your manager to include it in your quote.
Planning for a busy season
Event agencies count cleaning as part of the cost of running a costume — our page for event agencies shows the whole calculation. If your character works every weekend, consider two identical costumes: we make them from the same patterns and the same materials, so they match, and you can rotate them while one dries.
What to check when the costume arrives
Before shipping, we send you photos and a video of your costume. When the parcel arrives, unpack it and check it; report any visible transport damage to the carrier and to us as soon as possible, with photos. Then read the care instructions before the first event — they are written for your model.
More about how a costume is built is in our guide What’s inside a mascot costume. For heat and ventilation, read Is it hot inside a mascot costume?
