Headgear Care 101: Essential Tips Before Cleaning Your Hat
Hats, whether they're cherished baseball caps, stylish fedoras, or cozy beanies, often hold a special place in our wardrobes. They shield us from the sun, complement our outfits, or even represent cherished memories. Given their importance, it's crucial to clean and maintain them properly. Before diving into the cleaning process, here are some essential things to know:
- Material Matters: The fabric or material of your hat dictates its cleaning method. Wool hats require different care than cotton caps. Always check the label or manufacturer's guidelines before proceeding.
- Color Test: Before applying any cleaning solution, even mild ones, do a spot test. Choose an inconspicuous area, apply your cleaner, and check for any color bleeding or fading.
- Avoid Harsh Chemicals: While bleach might seem like a good idea for white hats, it can weaken the fabric and cause yellowing. Opt for gentle, natural cleaners whenever possible.
- Hand Wash for Safety: While some hats can endure a machine wash, hand washing is gentler and often recommended. It allows for targeted cleaning and reduces the risk of misshaping.
- Shaping is Key: After washing, the way you dry your hat can determine its final shape. Use a hat form or stuff the hat with a clean towel to maintain its shape as it dries.
- Storage Solutions: Once cleaned, store hats in a cool, dry place. For hats that can lose their shape, consider using a hatbox or a dedicated shelf.
- Frequency: Overwashing can wear out your hat faster. Clean your hat only when it's visibly dirty or has a noticeable odor. For in-between times, a quick spot clean or airing out can do wonders.
- Accessory Awareness: If your hat has embellishments like ribbons, badges, or other accessories, consider their care requirements. Some might need to be removed before cleaning, while others might be more delicate and susceptible to damage.
- Sun Drying: While drying hats in the sun can be effective, be cautious. Prolonged sun exposure can fade the color of your hat. If you choose to sun dry, limit the time and avoid peak sunlight hours.
I love wearing ball caps, and I'm married to a golfer, so let's just say, we have a lot of hats. We have them in every color imaginable, especially white! In the past, I've tried bleaching them, and that doesn't work. It doesn't remove stains and usually discolors any other part of the cap that isn't white. This week, I decided to try something new and wow...it worked like a charm. This works great with white hats and with a simple change up, it works great with colorful hats too.
Let's take a look at the before...I'm sure if you own hats, it's a familiar sight!
This is my pile of hats that I decided to experiment with. As you can see, I have a thing for hats with the state of Kentucky on them...to be honest, I didn't really know I owned that many. The one on the far left is not as dirty as the other ones, but I already got makeup all over it, so I decided to throw it in anyway.
The hat in the middle is my very favorite, and I can't find a new one just like it anywhere. I wear it on our daily walks, to do yard work in, when I'm painting and it has a ton of stains...it's pretty gross.
What you will need:
1 cup of hydrogen peroxide
1 tablespoon of dish liquid
OxiClean White Revive for white hats.
For white hats, start by filling your sink or a washtub with warm water, then add one scoop of OxiClean White Revive if you are washing white ball caps.
For colorful hats, fill your sink with cold water and skip this step. You should test on a small inner part of the hat first to make sure the color isn't going to fade.
Now add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide. Yep...just regular old 3% hydrogen peroxide that you find at the pharmacy or in the first aid section of most stores.
Next add 1 tablespoon of dish liquid and stir the water around to combine all of the ingredients.
Put your hats in the water and cleaning mixture, making sure to submerge them completely. Let the hats sit in the mixture for 10-15 minutes.
Pull each hat out and use a dish brush to gently scrub any stains, dirt or makeup until they disappear. Give the whole hat a gentle scrub to remove any dirt.
Rinse each hat with warm water and shake to remove some of the water.
Dry them in the sun if possible. I like to place each hat on an upside down bowl to help reshape them. If you don't have a sunny spot to dry them, you can place them on a towel somewhere inside to dry.
As you can see, I have a little helper, Nash ;)
Let them dry and bask in their glory y'all! There may be a couple of spots that just aren't fixable, but for the most part, your hats will look like new again. My Kentucky hat with all of the stains even came clean and my husband couldn't believe that I got rid of all of the sweat stains on his golf hats! So, time to grab those hats and get them all clean!
