How to wash
How to wash a hat
Hats soak up sweat and skin oil, but their shape relies on cardboard or a stiff band that water can ruin. The method depends on the hat: a cotton cap by hand, felt only dry, a knit like a sweater.
Always follow your garment's own label – it beats any general advice.
Cotton baseball cap
- Check the label and the brim: older caps have a cardboard brim – don't soak it, spot-clean only.
- In a basin of lukewarm water with a drop of washing-up liquid, brush the sweatband and marks with a soft brush.
- Rinse, blot with a towel and dry over an upturned bowl or a rolled towel so it keeps its shape.
Felt and straw hats
- No water. Brush dust off with a soft brush against the nap; lift marks with a rubber or a small brush.
- Sprinkle grease marks with cornflour, leave a few hours and brush it out.
Knitted beanie
- Wash it like a sweater: by hand or on the wool cycle at 30 °C, dry flat.
Common mistakes
- The dishwasher – the heat and detergent warp the brim and fade the colour.
- The dryer or a radiator – the sweatband shrinks.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Got the whole label?
Pick all its symbols and get the washer, dryer and iron settings in one place.
Decode the labelPrintable symbol chart →01Can I put a cap in the washing machine?
Only an all-fabric cap with a plastic brim, in a cap frame or mesh bag, cold water, gentle cycle. By hand is safest.
02How do I get sweat stains out of a hat?
Brush the sweatband with washing-up liquid; on white cotton a paste of baking soda and water for 15 minutes helps.
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