How to Clean a Baseball Cap
Baseball caps get daily wear and end up really grungy over a period of time. Here are tips to clean off those sweat stains and restore your cap to wearable condition. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Some people like their baseball caps with a vintage look. In that case, just wear it until it falls apart. Don't worry about cleaning it.
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If your cap is an older, collectible cap, take a look at the link below for special treatment for those. Wearing an irreplaceable cap only on special occasions will prevent it from getting scruffy enough to require washing.
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The washing machine has drawback with the agitation sometimes breaking the plastic cap cage. Without the cage, your cap gets quite a workout and can lose its shape.
In the top rack of the dishwasher, the cap stays motionless with the detergent and water cascading over it. Don't put it in with excessively greasy or tomato coated dishes. An average load of dishes won't hurt the cap. -
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Remove the cap from the dishwasher before the drying cycle starts. The heat might shrink the cap. Don't put a cap in the clothes dryer for the same reason.
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Put the cap (still in the plastic frame) out in the sun if it's a white cap. The sun provides bleaching for the cap, making it even whiter. For dark or brightly colored caps, dry it in the frame, but away from sunlight to prevent fading.
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Alternate ideas for cleaning a cap:
*Use Woolite and a brush to wash it in the sink.
*Soak it in a bucket with detergent for several days, up to a week.
*Wear it into the shower and soap it up with hand soap.
*Spray the dirty spots with a spot cleaner.
*Take it to a dry cleaners. -
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If you have umpteen caps and this one just won't clean up, you may have to retire it. Toss it in the trash can or hold a ceremonial burning for a really favorite cap. The next time you have a campfire, add the cap to it and then tell some stories of the great times you had wearing it. (I found this idea online)
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Tips & Warnings
You can spray the cap before the first wearing with a product like Scotchgard.
Resources
- Photo Credit Virginia Allain
Comments
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sneedc
Dec 18, 2008
I will opt for the dishwasher washing! Sounds terrific, we have some grubby, dirty hats around here! thank you! -
ototpnoy
Sep 19, 2008
on step 7 for alternate ideas it states "soak in bucket w detergent" does it matter on what type of detergent it is or not? -
Gail Martin
Feb 22, 2008
Since we retired, Dad seldom wears his caps so all his oil related caps are snapped with clothespins to a hanging rack made from a yardstick. Very visible but are getting very dusty. When spring comes I'll try your tips. Gail