How to Wash Baseball Caps or
Hats
 Newer
Hats Older
Hats Wool
Hats
There are three basic concerns
when washing baseball caps:
-
Washing will change the shape of
baseball caps.
-
Washing will wreck the brim on
baseball caps.
-
Shrinkage - it was funny on
Seinfeld but it is NOT funny when it comes to your favourite baseball
hat.
Before you wash a baseball hat
you need to get to know it a little better.
To start with,
have a look at the little tag (usually on the inside edge) that tells all
about what your baseball hats are made of and what the manufacturers
instructions are for washing the baseball hats. If the tag is still there
and you can read it that's great. Now you have some of the information you
need to go ahead and wash your baseball cap safely, without shrinking it
or wrecking the brim.
But if your baseball caps tag is gone or unreadable,
or if you have some really old baseball caps that never had a tag (pre
1983), then extra care is required when cleaning.
See CLEANING OLDER BASEBALL CAPS
below.
Cotton, wool or jersey, what are
your baseball hats made of?
-
Cotton twill is strong and durable
and has that "cotton" look to it - the older it is the better it looks
-
Cotton polyester blends are tough,
bright and usually colour fast
-
Jersey mesh is a durable,
colorfast knit that is easy to wash
-
Wool is warm but can shrink in
water and/or heat situations - see CLEANING WOOL BASEBALL CAPS below.
Lets say that
you have fairly new baseball hats made out of cotton, a cotton blend or
jersey knit. Washing them should not be a problem. Most baseball hats
today use a plastic form to shape the brim, not cardboard. The plastic can
withstand a wash with no deformation.
So if your baseball
caps have been made in the last ten years and are made out of one
of the above materials (except wool), just spray any dirty areas with a
prewash spray (Pre-treat the liner or headband with a enzyme based laundry
pre-spray before washing) and simply toss them in to the clothes washer
with the rest of your clothes (similar colours, cold water wash if
possible, warm if you have to, hot - no way! ALSO NO BLEACH)
If you want to hedge your bets and
be extra careful you can get one of those plastic forms for baseball hats,
strap your hat into it and then throw it into the washing machine. After
the wash let your baseball hats air dry. Couldn't be simpler.
NEVER PUT YOUR BASEBALL HATS IN A CLOTHES DRYER!
Using Dishwashers?
You may run across information that infers it is OK to wash your
baseball caps in the dishwasher.
(Including "I have also seen a cap
frame which you can purchase for the dishwasher which holds the hat in
place for washing in the dishwasher - again removing after the wash cycle
and air dry." OR "To clean baseball caps without destroying their shape,
place them on the top rack of the dishwasher and run through a complete
cycle.")
This is not recommended. Dishwashers
are for dishes, clothes washers are for clothes. When was the last time
you ate a meal out of one of your baseball hats?
If you have a reason to doubt
whether your older baseball caps have a plastic brim and if you would be
devastated if anything happened to them then err on the side of caution,
see CLEANING OLDER BASEBALL CAPS next.
"How to clean your older baseball
caps without actually washing them."
First do a
colorfastness test, take a wet washcloth with a little mild
detergent (Zero or Woolite are both mild) and a little 'Spray and Wash' on
it and rub it gently on a hidden spot on your baseball caps inner rim.
Rinse by rubbing with a clean wet cloth and air dry.
If there is no change to the colour
then go ahead and clean the dirtiest part of your older baseball hats, the
headband, using the washcloth and detergent.
After you have sufficiently cleaned
the headband of sweat stains and soil, rinse the washcloth with clear
water and once again wash down the headband, cleaning up any leftover
soap. Air dry and your baseball caps will be ready to go again. Some sweat
stains remain but at least the baseball caps will be cleaner with no risk
to the brim.
 (Sorry,
Sport-smart.com does not sell wool hats.)
Hand wash in the sink
with cool water and a mild laundry detergent meant for wool, like Woolite
or Zero.
Be gentle with your wool baseball
caps, if you scrub, rub or twist you'll cause the natural wool fibers to
matte together and you will end up with felted baseball hats that are a
couple of sizes too small for you. Rinse well in cool water, roll gently
in a towel to remove most of the water then reshape your baseball hats and
allow them to air dry over a coffee can or some other head shaped object.
If you dry your wool baseball hats
on your head, they will shrink precisely to the size and shape of your
noggin.
We hope this article has been useful for you.
"How to wash a baseball cap or hat."
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