Do you have a favorite baseball cap? If you do, chances are, you wear it pretty much all the time, or at least take it with you. With so much wear and tear and travel, you could end up with a misshapen baseball cap. What do you do when your hat gets squashed? Easy… you reshape it. Before you know it, you will be wearing your favorite baseball cap again. Remember next time, however, to store it correctly, try not to sit on it, don't leave it out in the rain, or whatever caused it to become misshapen in the first place.
Teakettle Shaping
This is the first method you should try. A lot of steam is used here to reshape your hat. Heat up a pot of water if you don't have a teakettle. Make sure that whichever you use, you use it carefully to avoid burning yourself. Steam is exceptionally hot. You may choose to wear gloves.
Put your pot or tea kettle on the stove and heat up some water. Once steam is being produced, in the path of that steam, place your misshapen hat. The steam should permeate the outside and inside. Soon your hat will be soft and warm, and you can start reshaping it. Bring the brim and crown into their correct positions by kneading the hat with your fingers and hands. Take a break if there's just too much moisture going on.
If necessary, you may need to repeat the process.
The Shower Method
You don't have to be in the shower to use this method. As hot as it will go, turn on your shower. Make sure that, away from the actual water stream, is where you hang your hat. Possibly the shower door’s inside. Give your hat about 15 minutes to soak up that hot steam. Turn off the shower and start reshaping your hat as you remove it from the bathroom. Working your way around the hat, start with the brim by using your fingers and hands. Let it air dry on a clean dry towel.
A clothes steamer works well here, too. In fact, it's a more concentrated level of steam than the shower.
The Ball Method
This method really works even though it's one of the oldest. For the correct sized ball, consider a youth soccer ball. That's for average heads. Use a spray bottle to lightly dampen your hat. Place it over the ball. Around the ball, pull it down tightly. Find a space heater or radiator in front of which you can let the ball sit, and the hat will dry. It should slip right off the ball once the hat has dried completely. Do not leave your hat unattended in front of the heat source.
This is actually a variation of the spray bottle method. After the hat has been dampened, for this method, you simply work it with your hands until it is the shape you want. To dry the hat, consider using a hairdryer held away from the hat at a distance.
Tissue Paper Stuffing
For hats that can't get wet, this method works nicely. Think felt hats, suede, or leather. Any intended areas of the hat's crown must be pushed out first. Use your fingers to reshape problem areas like the brim. Inside the entire hat, take a bunch of tissue paper and stuff it in. So that there aren't any visible gaps showing, make sure the tissue paper is firmly placed.
Put your hat in a cool dry place when you're satisfied that you’ve stuffed it well, and let it sit. See if your hat is in good shape after 24 hours. If so, you can remove the tissue paper. Repeat the process and leave the hat sit for a few days if you're not happy with the results the first time.
Do You Need a New Hat?
At Hat Heaven, we have baseball caps of all kinds: dad hats, trucker hats, snapbacks, fitted, and more. If your favorite hat just doesn't cut it anymore, and it's time to purchase a new one, we've got the cap you're looking for.
