How to wash an old sentimental baseball cap without ruining it
Soaking heavily soiled or moldy hats can permanently warp their shape and leave behind sticky sweatband rings or discoloration. This prevents people from safely restoring sentimental caps without ruining the fabric.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Soaking in water and dish soap
- 2Running it through the dishwasher
- 3Scrubbing with a stiff bristle brush or toothbrush
- 4Using laundry detergent, OxiClean, or vinegar soak
- 5Washing in the regular washing machine
- 6Washing hats in the dishwasher with regular dishwasher detergent
- 7Throwing the hat into the washing machine with the rest of clothes
- 8Using a hat cage in the washing machine
- 9Spraying with stain remover, using a soft brush, washing in the sink with detergent, and using hydrogen peroxide for stubborn stains
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Finally went to wear it again, and realized I had *never* washed it. I soaked it in a bucket with water and dish soap for a couple of days, and this white ring around the sweat band appeared.”source ↗
“Now the ring is extra sticky, and I’m thinking it’s mold”source ↗
“It’s a sentimental hat, so I’d like to clean and keep it if there’s a reasonable solution…but it’s also just a hat.”source ↗
“This hat hadn’t been worn in a while. How to go about cleaning this orange stain off? Thanks!”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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