In conversations with some friends, hat washing and care is a frequently discussed topic. Taking MLB hats as an example, which cost between 25$ and 50$, after wearing them a few times, dirt or sweat stains appear, requiring hat washing and care.

Hats are relatively inexpensive. Baseball caps, for example, are generally priced around $9.99, $19.99, and $29.99, and there are often discounts or other promotions. Therefore, many consumers don’t wash their hats when their caps get dirty, they simply buy a new one instead. This is why the US hat market is so large, and many hat companies from all over the world want to enter it.

Liking to wear hats and buying hats are good habits. We should learn from them! Throwing away a hat when it gets dirty is a bad habit, and we should criticize it. Throwing away hats is a waste, especially hats that cost much; nobody’s money grows on trees.

To wash and care for hats, you first need to understand the “Textile Washing Labels and Instructions.” There are basically five categories:

Category 1: Water Washing

The image shows a basin or sink. “Washing” refers to machine washing, not hand washing. However, most hats cannot be machine washed. This is a common oversight by consumers; washing a hat completely ruins its shape and is essentially irreparable.

Hats can be hand washed; the washing instructions are shown below. How to hand wash will be explained at the end of this article, so we won’t go into detail here.

Category 2: Bleaching

The symbol is a triangle. The washing symbol indicates bleaching; generally, clothing and hats should not be bleached, so ordinary consumers should use caution. Hotel supplies such as towels and duvet covers are bleached every time, but household clothing and hats do not need to be bleached.

Category 3: Drying

The image shows the front of a front-loading washing machine. The cap should not be dried in a front-loading washing machine. Air dry naturally; do not expose it to direct sunlight.

Category 4: Ironing

The image is of an iron. Hats can be ironed, but it requires specialized equipment. The ironing equipment used in hat factories is shown below; currently, most dry cleaners and personal care shops don’t have this kind of hat ironing equipment. Therefore, you’ll have to ask a friend who works in a hat factory for help.

Category 5: Professional cleaning (dry cleaning)

The symbol is a circle, and it’s generally dry-cleaned only. Dry cleaning also uses dry cleaning agents, which are indicated by different English letters. Hats can be dry-cleaned, but there are no professional documents or materials on how to do it. Consumers usually buy soft brushes and cleaning agents themselves to wipe the dirty areas of the hat, especially felt hats and the like.

Spot Clean

Finally, let’s talk about the suitable washing method for hats: Spot Clean. This means washing the dirty areas directly. The requirements for Spot Clean are:

• Handwash only
• Do not bleach
• Cannot be tumble dried
• Ironable
• Dry cleaning is available

For styles like MLB baseball caps, you can use a toothbrush with laundry detergent to scrub the dirty areas, then rinse with clean water and hang to dry. This is especially important for hard-top caps; follow my instructions. Below are photos shared by some of my friends showing how well the caps look after Spot Clean washing and conditioning.

Baseball Cap Cleaning Tips

1. Do not machine wash! It will ruin every single one you wash! It will deform your caps! Washing baseball caps with excessively hot water will also deform them!
2. Do not hang them to dry! Hanging them will ruin them! They will deform!
3. Remember these two points!

Final Thoughts form Aung Crown

Some environmentalists have pointed out that while the clothing industry used to have two seasons a year, the fast fashion industry now has 54 seasons a year, with new products every week, stimulating consumers to shop. A large number of clothes are only worn a few times before being thrown away. This is a waste of Earth’s resources.