How to Clean a Vintage Hat

Vintage hats require special care. Most people will avoid wearing a vintage hat if they want to keep it in pristine condition, but then where is the fun in owning such a great hat? Feel free to wear your hat on special occasions but make sure to always keep it clean.

Things You'll Need

• Brush
• Towel
• Water

Instructions

1. Purchase a brush with gentle bristles to remove dust from your vintage hat on a regular basis. The color of the bristles should be dark for a dark hat and light for a light-colored hat.

2. Dampen a towel with a smooth surface and gently rub the hat in a counterclockwise/circular motion to remove dust. Wet the towel and wring out as much water as possible. The hat should not get wet when you remove the dust with a damp towel if you use light pressure. Use a bath towel to gently remove any water transferred to the hat.

3. Tackle tough stains with a small-pore sponge or an art-gum eraser. Rub the stain in a motion that goes counterclockwise to the grain on the hat. Use light pressure to remove the stain. You want to wipe the stain off, not dig it out of the hat.

4. Sand a vintage felt hat with the finest sandpaper you can find. Be very gentle and only sand the stubborn stain. Watch carefully to make sure you stop sanding when the stain is removed. Don't force the sandpaper into tight spots or you could sand the wrong parts of the hat.

5. Clean oily stains with Fuller's Earth to draw the oils out of the hat. Brush the stained area and apply a coating of Fuller's Earth. After two to three hours, brush the compound off the hat. Repeat the process if the oil based stain isn't removed with the first treatment.

Tips & Warnings

• Only wear your vintage hat after you have washed and dried your hair. Never wear your hat if you have gel, hairspray or other hair products on your hair.

• Avoid the rain at all costs, even if you need to find a plastic bag to carry your hat to keep it dry. If your felt hat gets wet, for example, turn the sweat band inside out and place the hat on a hat platform to air dry.

• Don't wear your hat on windy days because the wind could blow dirt and dust onto your hat.

• Don't even think about using a hair dryer to dry your vintage hat because it can cause the hat to wrinkle and lose its shape.

• Avoid using water to clean a stiff hat because you may put too much water on the hat, leading it to lose its shape.