Sweat, body oils, grease, and watermarks all have one thing in common - they can all wreak havoc on your favorite wide brim hats and fedoras. The key to keeping your hats clean is to be consistent when it comes to properly storing your hats and immediately spot cleaning new stains. Whenever you notice a stain, or mark, it is important to treat the problem area using as little liquid as possible, which will prevent any potential for the hat to lose its shape when exposed to moisute.
How to clean your wide brim fedora while minimizing any potential damage?
All of Dope Headwear's brims are made of vegan felt, which is created by applying heat, moisture, and pressure to the fabric and mending the textiles of the hat together. The instructions in this post are for cleaning vegan felt hats.
Preventative maintenance to keep your hat looking fresh.
Prevention is the best course of action for your fedora, but can be easier said than done. One of the best preventative measures you can take to keep your wide brim hat looking great, and reduce the chances that you’ll need to really deep clean it, is by brushing your brim after each wear. You can do this with a toothbrush, or even better, using a special hat brush just for cleaning felt, or vegan felt hats. Brushing your hat upon each time you wear it will sweep away dirt and debris, and keep keep your hat's colors looking vibrant.
How to spot clean your wool and felt hats and fedoras?
As we previously covered, the key to keeping your fedoras and wide brims in perfect condition is to store them properly and clean them regularly with a brush, or even a lint roller to ensure dust does not settle in. However, if you have a more set in stain, the first thing you should do is attempt a spot cleaning treatment with a dampened cloth that you rub in a circular motion. If water isn’t doing the trick, then try adding a little dish soap.
If your stain is still giving you problems then try applying a mix of baking soda, corn starch, or baby powder directly onto the stain. Rub the powder in using the same motion and then let it sit for 20 minutes to soak up any oils. If the stain is still present, then simply just rinse and repeat!
How to hand wash your hats and wide brim fedoras?
Please keep in mind that hand washing your hats should be a last resort! Remember that subjecting your wool hat to water increases your chances of ruining its shape and overall appearance. However, if the stain is bad enough that you won’t wear it any longer, then feel free to try this step.
First, prep your hat by removing any embellishments or hat bands, spot clean it by brushing the hat to remove dirt and residue, and scrubbing away stains. Next, do a quick test to make sure adding moisture won't ruin your brim. To do this, fully wet a small section of the hat to ensure the color doesn’t run. If there are no problems then proceed by filling a bowl with water and a very small amount of soap, or degreaser. Once ready, dab the stain with your soap, or cleaning solution and water, and work the area using a cleaning brush, or cloth. Once you’re done, rinse the area quickly with cold water while trying to avoid adding excess moisture to fedora, place it on a dry cloth, and dab it with a towel to move residual water. We recommend setting your fedora outside in direct sunlight to dry up any hidden moisture.
Should you machine wash your hats?
Never! Moisture is your enemy when it comes to maintaining your headwear, so we suggest using cleaning methods that introduce the lowest amount of moisture required to spot treat the stains on your wide brim hat.
How should you store your fedoras and wide brim hats?
Hands down - a hat box, but if a hat box is not an option, then we recommend storing your hat in a way in which it is sure to not damage its brim. Ideally your hats should be kept away from sunlight to reduce fading, and also stored in a dry area that is free from any moisture or humidity. Hanging your hats is not recommended as it may distort the fedoras crown shape over time.