how to clean a ball cap without ruining it

How To Clean A Baseball Cap, Best Guide

If you're looking for how to clean a baseball cap, especially without ruining it, then you have come to the right place.

Baseball caps can be tricky to clean, you don't want to lose the shape, or for it to become discolored, but at the same time who wants to wear a grubby cap?

After some investigating, I found some great ways to clean a baseball cap. These will help your cap look fresh and keep its shape. So let's get to it.

Baseball Hat cleaning tips (General)

Check the instructions: It might sound obvious, but if you want to know the best way to wash a baseball cap, see what the manufacturer recommends. Chances are, it will instruct you to hand wash.

Don't put bleach on your cap: No matter how bad the stain, step away from the bleach. Bleach is a harsh cleaner so it will fade colors and (over time) affect the shape of your cap.

Hand-wash every time: To keep that "fresh out the box look" hand washing really is the best way to clean a baseball cap.

Maintain the shape: To further maintain your baseball caps shape, when you do wash it, don't place it in a dryer. Just like the washing machine, this will bash it around, leaving you with a saggy baggy cap that has lost color and shape.

When drying your baseball cap , it's best to put a small towel or dishcloth inside to shape to prevent deformation. Although it takes a little longer, when drying, leave it in the shade so that the sun does not fade it.

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The Best Way to Wash a Baseball Cap

1. Fill a bucket or clean sink with water. It's best to err on the side of caution and make it cool water instead of hot.

wash baseball cap in sink or bucket

2. While the sink is filling, add some laundry detergent. If the stain is not too severe, dish soap can be used. For more aggressive stains a treatment like OxiClean is an excellent option.

3. Target the stains first.Rub or splash some of the cleaning liquid on the larger stains on your cap.These marks will probably be in areas where dirt and sweat have accumulated such as the rim.

Place your cap in soapy water. Using a clean cloth dipped in soapy water, gently rub the stains. Do this until you think you have removed all the dirt.

Instead of a clean cloth, you can also use an old toothbrush. If you are particularly concerned about damaging the logo, scrub around it with the toothbrush. Unlike a cloth, the toothbrush makes it easier to control where you are cleaning.

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Take care around the stitching of the baseball cap, as these may be loosened if you scrub too vigorously. Be especially careful when cleaning around logos and designs, as once the stitching on these are undone it will affect the look of the whole baseball cap.

Once done, place on a towel in front of a floor fan. Within a few hours, your baseball cap will be looking new and ready to get dirty again.

4. Soak your baseball cap for a few hours. Once you have treated the baseball cap stains, let it soak the sink or a bucket filled with soapy water.

I personally would recommend around 45 minutes, but go longer if you feel the cap needs it. Halfway through the soak, check the cap and see how the stains are doing.

If there's still some stains that need working on, take the baseball cap out of the water and repeat step 3 again.

Best way to clean old baseball hats

1. With any old baseball caps, first do a colorfastness test. Use a white cloth which has been soaked in a little water. Gently rub an inconspicuous spot in the cap.

Look at the cloth, if the color has transferred, leave that cap alone and get it done professionally. However, If the fabric is colorfast, you can safely go ahead and clean your baseball cap.

Use a little dish washing soap to clean your baseball cap

2. Use a gentle cleaner. Start by mixing one cup of warm water with a teaspoon liquid dish-washing detergent. Dip the cloth in the solution and clean the entire hat.

Make sure you avoid soaking the entire hat in water, as chances are high (particularly with an older hat) this will ruin it. Also, the bill is likely shaped with cardboard which will dissolve.

3. Use the cloth to carefully "rinse" the cap. This cleans away any excess cleaning solution. Air dry your cap with a head-shaped form to maintain the shape.

How to wash a wool baseball cap

1. Use a wool-specific cleaning product. Wool fibers are long lasting but also require different types of cleaning products. Look for a detergent that suits wool or can be used smoothly on fabrics made of wool.

2. Let the cap soak for several hours.Mix together a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of a wool detergent into a bucket or sink filled with cold water. Let the cap soak in the mixture for around an hour.

If the baseball cap is really dirty, you can eliminate the grime by putting it in water and scrubbing the stuck on stains with your hands or an old toothbrush. Just don't scrub too vigorously as it may ruin the wool.

3. Wash the whole cap.Empty the bucket or sink after the cap has finished soaking. Hold the cap under cold running water until all the foam and dirt are gone.

4. Let the cap dry on a round surface.Wool has a tendency to lose its shape when not dried properly. Put the cap on top of a melon, balloon or an any round object that is head size and let it dry there.

At a pinch, you could dry your baseball cap dry on top of a round coffee container.
While not entirely recommended, you could wear it until it is dry to help maintain a rounded shape.
Again, do not put a wool cap into a clothes dryer

How to clean a white baseball cap without ruining it

First of all, as mentioned before, just because the baseball cap is white does not mean you should bleach it. When it comes tocleaning a white baseball cap it's all about the method.

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To get out stubborn stains, get some oxiclean on that baseball cap

1. Oxi Clean and Dishwasher soap: To tackle stubborn stains on white, reach for oxi clean stain remover and some dish wash soap

Squirt the oxi clean stain remover over the hat, specifically focusing on where the stains are. You really want to soak the hat in the stain remover, you can also rub this into the darker stains.

2. Soak your baseball cap: Place your baseball cap in a bucket of water with some of the dish wash soap. Let this soak for around 24 hours so the stain remover can soak into the hat.

When you take the baseball cap out it should be looking markedly cleaner. However, if you see some remaining stains move on to the next step.

how to clean a baseball cap at home

For a clean baseball cap without ruining it, clean with a toothbrush

3. Get out the tooth brush and cleaners.Squirt some more of the stain remover on those stubborn stains in the cap. Then, with the toothbrush begin to rub them away. Soon enough, you should see those stains lift right off.

Go around the whole hat until you're satisfied that all the marks have all been removed.

Rinse your cap off in warm water and dry overnight in a cool dark place.

How to clean a leather baseball cap

People tend to think that cleaning a leather baseball cap will be difficult, this is not necessarily the case – particularly if you know what you're doing.

Cleaning a suede baseball cap: To keep your baseball cap looking good, use those soft bristle brush found in suede cleaning kits. This restores the texture of suede or the (nap). Do this at least once a week to remove dust and dirt.

For those places that look matted, buff with an emery cloth to lift the nap of the fabric. Those oily stains can be removed using talcum powder or even cornstarch.

Let the powder to sit on the stain overnight so it absorbs the oil , then simply brush away. Do this until all the oil is gone.

Wherever possible, keep suede baseball caps from getting wet. On the occasions this happens, shake the excess water off and allow to air dry.

To stop shrinkage and to hold its shape, dry on a hat form. After it has dried, brush to restore the nap.

How to clean leather baseball caps: In the case of tough stains, use a mixture of mild detergent and water. If the leather cap is really dirty, add a few drops of vinegar.

This can be used as a leather conditioner, as it will help to clean your leather baseball cap and prevent new stains.

Once applied all over the leather's surface, leave the cap to air dry.

Final thoughts on How to clean a baseball cap

Yes, I could have included something about how to wash a baseball cap in the dishwasher, but I don't actually believe that works. The best way, by far, is washing your baseball cap by hand.

That extra bit of care makes all the difference and keeps your baseball cap looking great for years to come.

To keep your baseball caps shape when drying, or even in general, you can use a cap washing frame. Alternatively, a rolled up towel placed in the cap when drying or when it's not in use.

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