As noted in the price guide, care for some garments cost more, because they require extra care. Shearlings are notoriously temperamental. All reputable furriers explain to customers the inherent difficulties in cleaning shearling and even make them sign a release form first. The biggest problems cleaning shearlings are color loss, shrinkage and stiffening. "It greatly depends on the quality of the coat, how it was made and the type of pelts used," explains Scott Rubman, president of eFurs. "Good quality coats and darkly colored coats present no problem. The company that does our cleaning and storage has been in business for 52 years, cleans 70,000 fur coats and 10,000 shearling coats annually. The cleaning method does not cause shrinkage, and if there is any color loss, we replace the color so the coat looks the same as when it came in." Even so, Rubman and fur specialists recommend cleaning shearlings only when necessary, "only when they're dirty." Neiman Marcus will only clean shearlings purchased at Neiman Marcus. "This is the only way to be sure of the quality of the garment, that it will stand up to the cleaning process," says Terry Thornton, in charge of furs and coats at Neiman Marcus stores. At Somper Furs in Beverly Hills, Wanda Presburger makes sure customers know the dangers in cleaning shearling. "Yes, we put everything in writing; we don't rely on memory. And we tell our customers everything they should know. The vast majority of shearlings come out fine, though." Cleaning fur-trimmed, fur-lined or reversible garments is not as potentially fraught with danger as cleaning shearling, but it is still more expensive than cleaning a regular fur coat. Ideally the fur is removed from the fabric or leather and put through the fur cleaning process. The separate fabric or leather part of the coat gets its own cleaning process. If the fur can't be removed, the entire coat gets cleaned by hand. Chinchilla is the most fragile of furs and needs special care. Because it has such fine hair, chinchilla attracts dirt and oil faster than other furs. Because it has fragile, paper- like leather, it cannot be subjected to the same rigors as other furs, including frequent cleaning. Just don't get it dirty. Chinchilla should be worn only a few times a year, for special occasions, and should be treated with utmost respect. If you're lucky enough to own this rare and expensive fur, you probably have a good relationship with a furrier who values your patronage very much and who will be sure your chinchilla is cared for properly. Trust him or her.