Even though snapback caps are regularly marketed as a “one-size-fits-all” and they can be worn in all head sizes, this is not always the case. At times, a particular snapback cap can lean to a larger size, and this may cause it to be loose on your head when worn. A loose cap is never good as it not only looks disproportionate and untidy, but it also increases the likelihood of it being dropped whenever you’re wearing them. Of course, this is a situation that no one wishes to be in. As such, we’re here to provide a few tips and tricks on how to shrink snapback caps. Don’t worry, as this process simply takes four steps that are quick and straightforward to follow.
Before doing anything and getting all the materials required, you have to find out what the cap is made out of. This is because different materials have different resistant levels to shrinkage, which determines how time-consuming it is to decrease the size of your snapback cap. For most modern snapback caps available in the market today, they are primarily made from three materials: cotton, wool, and polyester. When it comes to cotton and wool, these two materials are generally much more susceptible to shrinkage, which means that hats in these materials would shrink rather easily after being soaked and dried. This is not the case for polyester, however. Polyester is more resistant to shrinkage, so you do have to make a few adjustments here and there if your cap is made from this particular material.
Now it’s time to wet the cap using warm to hot water. For cotton and wool hats, you want to either go for the hand wash method or shower method. For the hand wash method, all you have to do is submerge the cap into hot, but not boiling water. You can do so by boiling water in a pot. The shower method, on the other hand, requires you to wear the cap in the shower and stand under the showerhead. Since polyester is more resistant to shrinkage, a more effective method is the washing machine method. Place your cap into a garment bag to protect its shape before throwing it into the washing machine.
Once the cap is soaked through, you want to fully submerge it for a couple of minutes. For the hand wash method, let the cap soak for around five to 10 minutes before taking it out. For the shower method, let the cap be soaked under running water for three to five minutes. For polyester caps being placed in the washing machine, you simply have to wait till the wash cycle is complete.
This is the process when you can see the difference in your hats. As your cap is drying, wear them out for a day as this encourages the hat to shrink to your head size. If you’re not heading out, you can speed this process up by blow-drying the cap with a hairdryer. Do take note to not switch on to the highest setting as overheating can damage your cap. For polyester caps, you can place them inside a dryer on medium heat and wait for around 10 minutes. Once the cap is completely dry, it should shrink to a smaller size.