Hat Care and Hat Cleaning Tips

We've been receiving more and more questions about how to care for your caps.  We know your fresh cap isn't nearly as fresh when a huge dirt or sweat stain captures the attention of bystanders.  When your cap goes from a little worn to "warning this hat is dirty and smelly," it's time to give your hat a bath.

Here are a few of our Hat Care and Hat Cleaning tips:

1.  Protect your hat from the very beginning with Water and Stain Repellent.  This product helps water bead up and roll right off your cap.  It also repels dirt and sweat from absorbing into your hat.

2.  When you're ready to give your hat a bath, you'll want to take note of the material.  Wool caps will shrink a bit with water (or sweat for that matter) so dry cleaning is your best bet for 100% wool hats--unless your head has shrunk too.  Most cotton, polyester and cotton/polyester blends will be okay to wash in the dishwasher or washing machine.

3.  To begin the washing process, spray your dirty hat with Cap Cleaner and Deodorizer and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Next, wet your cap with water and gently scrub with a clean dry sponge or brush.  Rinse.

4.  Finally, wash your cap in the top rack of your dishwasher (do NOT use dish washing detergent!) or launder in a washing machine on a delicate cycle.  Gentle laundry detergent can help get out difficult stains (like Woolite), but always test for colorfast.  Remove and let air dry.  Use the Ball Cap Buddy to help your hat keep its shape while washing.  Like all laundry you do, pay attention to the water temperature.  Hot water can shrink your hat. 

5.  If your hat is beyond help, just visit your local LIDS location or stop by lids.com to pick up a clean cap :)

We hope these hat care and hat cleaning tips have helped.  Please feel free to leave questions or comments.  Thanks for stopping by the LIDS Blog!