Is your favorite hat getting pretty smelly? Or covered with dirt and grime? Use my easy steps and fool proof method to bring dirty old hats back to life that look new again, all without losing it's shape!
We just got back from vacation a couple of weeks ago and I am dealing with a very smelly hat. My whole family has very pale skin and we are all prone to burning.
So whenever we are out in the sun we wear lots of sunblock and hats. After a week of bike riding, tennis, and hanging out at the beach our caps all need a good wash.
Most hats are pretty easy to wash, however, baseball caps can be a little harder to wash. You want to make sure you get your baseball cap clean but you also want to make sure it keeps its shape.
Most hats are pretty easy to wash, however, your favorite baseball cap can be a little harder to wash. You want to make sure it gets clean but you also want to keep it's shape.
My husbands' baseball cap was smelly and dirty as you can see in the picture below. It had sweat stains around the brim.
I've learned the best way to clean a hat is by hand. You don't lose the shape of the hat, but you can easily get rid of the sweaty smell, dirt build up, and body oil stains.
Why This Cleaning Method Works
The dish soap removes our greasy body oils that builds up from sweat, hair products, and just nasty grime. While the vinegar helps and has stain-fighting power, it also works as a disinfectant and gets rid of bacteria. This is the root cause for the sweaty smell.
Ingredients Needed:
- Vinegar (just the plain white vinegar)
- Dish Soap- you can use any mild detergent, you just want to make sure its a good grease fighter.
- Baking Soda
- Laundry Detergent
- Spray Bottle
- Laundry Brush (I love this one from Amazon) or an old Toothbrush
How To Clean a Baseball Cap - Hand Washing
To a spray bottle, add 1/4 cup of vinegar and 3 tablespoons of dish soap. Shake well.
Spray the dirty ball caps with the mixture so it's saturated.
Use a soft brush to scrub the dirty areas, the bill, and the insides of the hat.
Sprinkle a 1/4 cup of baking soda on the cap and use the brush again. Let the hat soak for 5 minutes once all of the baking soda is mixed in.
Fill up the sink with warm water and rinse it off.
Once the baking soda mixture has dissolved off, fill the clean sink back up with hot water and add a tablespoon of laundry detergent.
Let the cap soak for 10 minutes.
Rinse off the soapy water until the water runs clear.
Lay it on a flat surface and let the hat air dry. Put something under it, I used a round, large bowl, so it keeps the shape of the hat.
If needed, repeat the process once more if it's really dirty or has a bad smell. The last time I had to do it twice just because it had been so long.
Can You Wash Hats in the Dishwasher?
Some say that you can safely wash hats on the top rack of the dishwasher. However, you can't control the temperature of the water and heat, which could ruin older hats and vintage hats because they using have a cardboard brim instead of a plastic one. Dishwasher detergents often have harsher ingredients and may also damage your caps.
We have found the best choice to be handwashing, but if you go the dishwasher route, place the hat in a plastic hat keeper so you keep the shape of your hat, and let it air dry when finished.
Cleaning Baseball Caps in the Washing Machine
While hand washing is the gentlest method, you can also wash it on the gentle cycle. We still recommend letting it soak in the vingar and soap solution, because this is what really kills the odors.
Once you have done that, you can place it in a hat keeper. This will help to protect the shape of the cap. Then wash on the delicate cycle after adding your laundry detergent.
We prefer air drying and you can even do it in direct sunlight.
Is My Hat Bill Plastic or Cardboard?
If you have a new favorite baseball hat, chances are it has a plastic bill. An old cap may have a cardboard bill. If you tap on it and it has a hollow sound, it's probably cardboard.
Helpful Tips
- Using cool water or cold water will cause less shrinkage.
- If there are only a few stained areas and you would rather do some spot cleaning versus the full cleaning process, use my DIY stain remover. Just remember, this is for visible stains, not to actually get the sweaty odor out.
- Depending on the type of hat, there may be specific cleaning instructions that the manufacture recommends you follow listed on the care label or manufacturer's website.
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