How Often Should You Wash A Baseball Cap August 15 2019, 0 Comments

 

How to clean a baseball cap, baseball caps, custom baseball caps

Why Clean Your Baseball Cap?

On field or off, a baseball cap that gets lots of use will get sweat stained, grimey, and even stinky. Cleaning your cap will not only present a sharper appearance, but will extend the wearable life of your cap.

When Should You Clean Your Cap?

Opinions vary, with some advocating a few times a year to “you can wash a cap?” The broken in look of a sweat stained cap can give a little activewear cred, but a some point the crust should come off! But even the most dedicated daily use cap should probably need no more than once a year.

How To Wash A Cap

Washing machines have delicate cycles, and there are even hat forms meant specifically for this. But that can be a rather rough wash, and even a side load washer might be too much. The same for dryers, where even the no heat setting can be too hot.

Hand washing gets universal praise for quality of wash and, more importantly, maintaining the integrity of your cap’s shape. A clean sink or tub with lukewarm water and a bit of laundry detergent to start. Rinse your cap and pre-wash any particularly prominent stains. A dab of detergent on a Q-tip or old soft toothbrush should take care of the pre-wash, though some recommend laundry pre-wash spray. Either way, remember to color test any solvent you will be exposing your cap to. And be gentle! Aggressive scrubbing on seams or embroidery, especially custom hat designs, could breakdown threads and lead to fraying.

Soak your cap in the water/detergent solution for one to three hours, then rinse. Pat dry any excess, but be mindful of your cap’s form. For drying, place your cap over something that will hold the crown’s shape. It is here that the baseball cap washing form mentioned earlier could really be useful. Let air dry, maybe in front of a fan, or even with a hair dryer on a no heat setting. Remember to avoid heat!

Be careful with hats made prior to the 1980s, their brims are often cardboard and will warp. And be extra-gentle with wool and wool blends, there are actual detergents for wool that you may prefer. A well cared for hat can be a hat for life, remember to wear it with pride!