A creative resident washed her fur coats in the heavy snow in northern China.

The video was filmed in Harbin City in Heilongjiang Province on November 6.

The filmer Mrs Tan explained that this method of fur coat cleaning is a well-known practice in Northeast China. It involves washing fur coats in the freshly fallen snow, but there's a catch – it must be done while the snow is still falling. Once the snow has had a day to accumulate dirt, it becomes unsuitable for cleaning.

Each coat takes about 10 minutes to clean using this method, and the results are surprisingly effective, leaving the fur coats looking immaculate.

Professor Zhang Yi from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Central South University shed some light on the science behind this quirky cleaning technique. He pointed out the key principles at play. First, snowflakes have intricate three-dimensional structures, providing them with a high surface area and strong adsorption properties. They are effective at attracting oil and dust particles on clothing. Second, when people shake their clothes, they generate static electricity, which can help repel oil molecules, especially since snowflakes carry a slight negative charge. This synergy between snowflakes and fur rubbing against each other during the process enhances their ability to remove dirt and oil from the fur.

In summary, this traditional snow cleaning method for fur coats is indeed feasible, but it's only suitable for use in cold, dry regions like Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Northeast China, where the snow is dry and fluffy. In contrast, in the humid and warm southern regions, using wet and melting snow for cleaning could damage the fur, making this approach less practical.

The video was provided by local media with permission.

11月6日，黑龙江哈尔滨。大雪过后，积雪遍地，有市民拿出自己的貂皮大衣在雪地里洗刷清洗。视频拍摄者谭女士称，这个洗貂皮大衣的方法在东北大家都知道，雪大、雪厚的时候可以这样洗貂皮大衣，必须是边下雪边洗，隔日雪脏了就不能洗了。洗一件衣服要10来分钟，清洗后很干净。
据中南大学化学化工学院张翼教授介绍，用东北刚下的雪清洗貂皮大衣是具有一定的可行性的，包括三个方面原理：范德华力、静电作用等。
首先，用显微镜去观察雪花，会看到很多精细的三维结构，使得雪花具有很大的比表面积，比较蓬松，它就有比较强的吸附能力，范德华力比较多，因为它跟油污分子的结合力更强，所以雪花能够把油污和灰尘从衣服上掇下来。
第二、当我们抖衣服的时候会产生一些静电，油污的分子也会带相应电，而雪花本身是略带一点负电性，就有可能把油污吸附走，但是操作的时候要注意雪花必须是干燥的。也就是说北方寒冬的雪花更为干燥蓬松，雪花搭配上动物皮毛在摔打摩擦下产生了静电，大大增强了吸附灰尘和油脂的能力，从而达到了清洗的作用。
因此，雪洗貂皮大衣这种传统的手法是真的可行，但是只限于在新疆、内蒙、东北等一些干燥寒冷的地区，用新下的干雪清洗。而像潮湿的南方地区雪很湿润、易融化，洗不干净还会伤毛皮，大家就不要盲目地效仿了。