Pssst, do you want to be in a good mood? treat your hat right

In our day and age, it’s safe to say that hats have become a staple in human culture and fashion, and probably the most recognizable yet simple design is the classic baseball cap. Baseball caps are sometimes worn to the side or even backwards as fashion statements, but for the most part, these hats are worn to pull back your hair and protect your eyes when exercising or playing sports, primarily baseball. Unfortunately, when we exercise in the heat, for example in the summer when we are most active, we tend to sweat a lot. Although sweating is perfectly healthy and a good sign that our bodies are working well removing harmful toxins, it doesn’t really benefit our hat sweatband, right? Instead, it just makes our hats look damp and floppy, gross, or worse, it can cause unsightly stains in the long run; If those sweatband stains aren’t treated with fabric protection, given plenty of time, they can build up and make it even more difficult to remove.

So how can you get rid of those nasty sweat stains? Many advice columns suggest tossing them in a washing machine or dishwasher, but that risks destroying the shape, color, and overall quality of your hat. The best way is to hand wash baseball caps, although it may take a little longer. Before you begin, you need to make sure that the brim of your hat is made of plastic and not cardboard, as it will be submerged under water. For hats that contain cardboard, you may prefer the second technique that will be mentioned. Also, you want to make sure that the dye on your hat doesn’t run. To do this, take a damp white cloth and rub it on a small part of the hat; If a little color is removed or the fabric loses a little color, the hat can not be washed. But if the dye doesn’t come off, you can proceed to hand wash the hat.

First, take a bucket of warm water and add a tablespoon of laundry detergent, but make sure it doesn’t contain bleach as this could affect the color. Second, mix the water together to form a soapy mixture. As mentioned above, some suggest spraying the baseball cap with any stain-reducing product used for clothing on newly purchased hats. Next, dip the hat into the mixture and leave it there for around 2-4 hours. The next step is to rinse the hat under very cold running water until the soap is completely rid of the hat. Later, shake off the excess water and squeeze it out carefully so as not to spoil the shape. Lastly, set your baseball cap to air dry, or place it in front of a fan to dry faster, but if you clean your caps or hats frequently, avoid direct sunlight as much as possible for the hats dyed in color, as that could also damage the color of the hat. To take even more care of the inside of your hats, not just baseball caps, invest in some hat shapers or cap crown inserts to keep the hat panel shape in its proper contour. Not only to be used for air drying, but the shapers are designed to help restore the shape of any hat that may have become disfigured after time of wear, whether it looks flattened or squashed. And you don’t have to worry about mold or mildew on the inner crown of the cap the next time you break a sweat, because it’s mildew resistant. But keep in mind that some hat shapers are for storage while others can be used together with the hat.

For stubborn stains, even more difficult to remove, or for washing hats that have a cardboard brim, there is another method. Take a bowl and pour some baking soda inside, then mix in enough warm water to form a paste, but not enough that it’s like a liquid, more like the consistency of toothpaste. Afterward, dip a clean toothbrush in white vinegar, then in the paste, and scrub the affected areas of the fabric vigorously. After you have scrubbed well, let the mixture sit for 30-60 minutes. Next, run cold water over the hat, making sure not to wet the bill. Rinse your hat or baseball cap until no more baking soda remains. Pat your hat down with a dry towel or cloth. Lastly, air dry the hat as above, using a fan or placing it by an open window, and don’t forget to invest in a hat shaper, you won’t regret it.

Keep this information in mind the next time your hats get covered in sweat. Do not wait too long to clean your hats, the longer the stains remain without cleaning, the more difficult it will be to recover the quality of the fabric. Also remember that it is very important not to put hats in the washing machine or dishwasher, even though it seems faster, easier and many people recommend it. These machines are not designed to clean hats and may shrink or distort your hats. If all else fails, don’t be afraid to take your hats to a professional for cleaning. We hope you enjoyed our tips, feel free to share them!