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.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Soaking in water and dish soapDid this help you?
- 2Running it through the dishwasherDid this help you?
- 3Scrubbing with a stiff bristle brush or toothbrushDid this help you?
- 4Using laundry detergent, OxiClean, or vinegar soakDid this help you?
- 5Washing in the regular washing machineDid this help you?
- 6Washing hats in the dishwasher with regular dishwasher detergentDid this help you?
- 7Throwing the hat into the washing machine with the rest of clothesDid this help you?
- 8Using a hat cage in the washing machineDid this help you?
- 9Spraying with stain remover, using a soft brush, washing in the sink with detergent, and using hydrogen peroxide for stubborn stainsDid this help you?
- 10Buy a replacement hatDid this help you?
- 11Unstitch the logo and reattach it to a new hat at a hat storeDid this help you?
- 12Using makeup remover specifically on the stained part without getting the hard part wet, followed by regular soap and air drying.Did this help you?
- 13Using Oxi-Clean detergents in the washDid this help you?
- 14Making a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to scrub into the stains and letting it sit for an hourDid this help you?
- 15Doing a 6-hour Oxi-Clean soakDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Dad passed away. This was his favorite hat. Please tell me how I can fix it up. Now it’s my favorite hat. It clearly has sun damage and mold(?) all over it.”source ↗
“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 ↗
“The care instructions say do not wash but I got makeup stains on it. Any idea?”source ↗
“This hat hadn’t been worn in a while. How to go about cleaning this orange stain off? Thanks!”source ↗
“Best way to whiten my favorite hats, I have several of these flex-fit hats that are sweat stained. Ive tried oxi-clean detergents in the wash but this is as good as they get.”source ↗
Where this came up
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