6 Easy Steps To Cleaning Your Stinky Hat

People love their baseball caps. So much so, in fact, that many tend to wear them a little longer than they should before they finally decide to clean them. Some people wait so long to clean their hats that they are beyond hope. They end up discarding what used to be their absolute favorite cap because it is too dirty, too stained, and too – let’s face it – stinky to resurrect in any reasonable manner.

Do you have what used to be a favorite cap but is now nothing more than just a gross, stinky hat? It didn’t have to be that way! There are methods by which you can clean your cap before it gets to that point. Here, we are going to go over some steps you can take to remove the odor from your hat.

Can’t I Just Machine Wash My Stinky Hat?

Your hat gets smelly because you sweat in it. Just like your clothes. If you don't wash them, they take on an odor of their own after a while. Clothing, for the most part, however, can simply be thrown in the washing machine and tumbled around in the dryer. This isn't always the case with hats. They can become misshapen, shrink, and more. So, check the tag on your hat. If it says machine washable, you might be able to get away with it. 

To Machine Wash Your Cap

Some sorting may be necessary so that it's not washed with the wrong clothing items. You'll also likely want to have a hat form handy. Heavily soiled areas should be pre-treated by pouring a little detergent on the stains and rubbing it in. Then go ahead and throw it in the proper wash cycle. (Make absolutely sure the bill is not constructed of cardboard first.)

To let your baseball cap dry after washing it, you can use a clean, lint free towel with which to remove excess moisture. Let your cap air dry on top of a form that is shaped like a head or use a hat form. Hat forms can be picked up pretty easily online. We found a set of them (3 total – two adult, one child) on Amazon for under $12.

No Hat Tag To Go By

If the tag on your hat says it's okay to machine wash, feel free. However, you should follow these steps to hand wash your cap otherwise:

1. Find a clean color fast or white cloth in your home and designate it as your hat cleaning cloth. Onto the dampened cloth, pour a little bit of mild laundry detergent.
2. To make sure the color of your hat is not affected by the detergent, find a hidden area underneath and apply the detergent. See what happens.
3. Use the laundry detergent-treated cloth to rub any areas of your hat that are soiled. Make sure the inner headband receives special attention. 
4. If you're satisfied with the results of your cleaning, the detergent can be removed from the hat by rinsing the cloth with water and wiping the detergent away.
5. Check the hat. Is it clean? Does it still have an unpleasant odor? If the odor persists or the cap is not clean you will have to repeat the cleaning steps.
6. Once you're satisfied that all the detergent has been removed from the hat, go ahead and let it air dry.

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At Hat Heaven, we carry caps that are sure to become your new favorites. We have hats with cartoon characters, catchy sayings, sports logos, and more. We have camouflage hats, vibrantly colored hats, and sensibly colored, traditional styles. We have it all.

Shop our impressive collection today. Got questions? Email us at customerservice@hatheaven.com.