Washing Hats by Hand
Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water. Find a mixing bowl, a tub, a basin, or a bucket that is large enough for the hat and the water. Make sure the container is clean. Add warm or cool water, meaning roughly 65℉-80℉ or 18℃-27℃ or less. This is essentially room temperature water. Never use hot water, which is roughly above 90℉ or 32℃. Hot water will shrink the wool fibers. Set the hat into the bowl or basin before you add water to make sure it will fit in the container once the water is added.
Add detergent designed for wool or delicate clothing. Choose a wool-specific detergent like Woolite or Persil Silk & Wool to make sure it is mild enough for the hat. Measure out a small amount and pour it into the water. When using powder detergent, agitate the water to make sure the particles dissolve completely. If you can’t find a wool-specific detergent, make sure you use a mild detergent. Baby detergent, such as Dreft, or detergent for sensitive skin, like All Free Clear, are good alternatives.
Place the hat in the water. Set the hat in the water and gently press it down so it is completely submerged. Hold it there until the entire hat soaks up water. This may take a minute depending how thick the weave of the hat is. Flip it over a couple of times so all sides get wet.
Massage the hat in the water for a few minutes. Gently squeeze the hat and rub the fibers to let the water and detergent permeate completely into it. If possible, turn the hat inside out to make sure the inside gets clean as well. For stubborn stains, use a soft toothbrush to lightly scrub the hat. The fibers are damaged easily, so never scrub wool with a harsh brush or with hard strokes. Be sure not to stretch the hat out while you wash it, as it may not return to the proper shape.
Let the hat soak for 20-30 minutes. After a good wash, let the hat soak in the water for a while to loosen any remaining stains or bad smells. If you want to, put the hat into a new bowl of warm water and detergent so it soaks in clean water. After it soaks for a while, give it a quick massage again to remove anything that was loosened while the hat soaked.
Rinse the hat with cold water. Take the hat to the faucet and turn on the cold water. Let the water run over the entire surface of the hat, both inside and outside, to rinse all of the detergent and dirty water off of the hat. Rinse the hat for two or three minutes.
Washing Soft Hats in the Washer
Put the hat in the washing machine. Gather a load of wool clothes, if possible, and wash them all at once. If you don’t have much wool, wash your hat with similar items like knitted clothing or blankets. If your washer has a center agitator, wash your hat in a mesh laundry bag with other clothing. Be sure to only wash your hat with similar colors or add a color catcher cloth to make sure your hat does not soak up any other colors. If your washer does not have a center agitator, it’s okay to wash the hat by itself. Only wash stocking cap style hats in the washer. Hats with a bill, brim, or other structural pieces should only be washed by hand.
Use detergent that is formulated for wool. Basic laundry detergent can damage the fibers of a wool hat, so don’t use standard detergent. Use either wool-specific detergent, such as Woolite, or another mild detergent for delicate fabrics. Never pour the detergent directly onto the wool hat, as too much detergent on the hat could damage the fibers. Either put the detergent in after water has been added or pour it away from the wool hat.
Set the washing machine for warm or cold water. Excessively hot water can shrink wool and damage the fibers, so never put a washing machine on a hot cycle with your wool hat. Make sure that the soak, wash, and rinse cycles are all either warm or cold. Water temperature on the warm setting should be 80℉ (27℃) or below. If you don’t know the temperature of the warm setting, it’s best to stick with cold water.
Pick the gentlest wash setting. Since wool is not as tough as some other materials, do not use the normal wash settings. Choose “Delicates,” or even “Wool cycle,” if it is an option. Whichever setting provides the gentlest wash is the best setting for your hat. If the washer you want to use does not offer a gentle setting, it is best to wash your wool hat by hand.
Drying Wool Hats
Roll the hat in a towel to soak up most of the water. Take a clean, dark towel and roll the hat up in it to remove most of the water. Do this more than once if necessary until the hat is only slightly damp. This works best for wool sock hats because hats with a bill or structure will crush if you roll them.
Lay the hat flat on a clean surface. Never dry a wool hat in a dryer, as the hat will shrink significantly and may be completely ruined. Lay the hat out on a clean surface and let it air dry. Flip the hat over at some point so the bottom or inside can dry. Flip sock hats inside out for awhile, too. Place a fan near the hat to keep air flowing on. This will help the hat dry faster without the damaging effects of a dryer.
Hang the hat from a clothesline or a hanger. Another drying option is to hang the hat up rather than drying it lying flat. Use a clothespin or a hook to hang the hat from a clothesline. Indoor clotheslines may be better because leaving the hat in direct sunlight for too long can damage it. Also, try hanging the hat from a hanger on a doorknob.
Wear the hat until it is dry. As a wool hat dries, it may not dry in the right shape. If you wear the hat long enough for it to dry on your head, it will form to your head and end up shaped exactly the way you need it to be. Another option is to place the hat on an upside down bowl, a coffee canister, or something else that is round to help the hat retain its shape.
Reshape the hat before it dries completely. If you left the hang lying or hanging to dry, pick it up when it is mostly dry and fluff it back into the shape you want. If it dries completely while it’s flat, it may not reshape the way you want it to. This mainly applies to floppy sock hats because baseball hats or other wool hats with structure to them will stay in shape.
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