I love hats probably just like a lot of you on the board, but I have never known how to wash a hat effectively, especially a wool hat without it shrinking. I have a couple of white hats that are starting to look nasty because of the dirt getting collected by them. I have been looking around on the internet but basically in regards to wool hats, it's looking like there isn't much you can do. Does anyone have any tips on how to wash wool, cotton, and polyester hats? Thanks.

I found this:

 

http://www.sport-smart.com/wash-baseball-hat-cap.htm

 

CLEANING WOOL BASEBALL CAPS (with plastic brims)

(Sorry, Sport-smart.com does not sell wool hats.)

 

Hand wash in the sink with cool water and a mild laundry detergent meant for wool, like Woolite or Zero.

 

Be gentle with your wool baseball caps, if you scrub, rub or twist you'll cause the natural wool fibers to matte together and you will end up with felted baseball hats that are a couple of sizes too small for you. Rinse well in cool water, roll gently in a towel to remove most of the water then reshape your baseball hats and allow them to air dry over a coffee can or some other head shaped object.

 

If you dry your wool baseball hats on your head, they will shrink precisely to the size and shape of your noggin.

You don't wash your hats. It's like shooting your best friend.

Is there any way to or can wool hats be stretched after shrinking?? If so, how?

 

I got soaked in the rain and my cap shrunk to a much tighter fit than I prefer...

My biggest problem is I'm looking for a way to clean them up a bit so they don't look so dirty.

Come on guys, baseball players wear CAPS.

Is there any way to or can wool hats be stretched after shrinking?? If so, how?

 

I got soaked in the rain and my cap shrunk to a much tighter fit than I prefer...

Stretch it on the bottom of a sauce pan.

Is there any way to or can wool hats be stretched after shrinking?? If so, how?

 

I got soaked in the rain and my cap shrunk to a much tighter fit than I prefer...

 

 

Stretch it on the bottom of a sauce pan.

 

I don't think it will go back to looking the same, though.

 

Just all stretched, felt-like and strained looking.

 

You can't undo wool shrinkage.

Is there any way to or can wool hats be stretched after shrinking?? If so, how?

 

I got soaked in the rain and my cap shrunk to a much tighter fit than I prefer...

 

Well, maybe if you soak your head...it will shrink???

 

 

Is there any way to or can wool hats be stretched after shrinking?? If so, how?

 

I got soaked in the rain and my cap shrunk to a much tighter fit than I prefer...

 

yep. Just put both fists inside the cap and push them outwards toward the front and rear of the cap. You will hear a few if the inner threads rip but you will never know it from the outside and it won't affect the cap. Learned this from a New Era sales rep and it will make any hat about a half to one size bigger.