Cleaning hats

[Triguy29]

I did search this hit didn't see anything specific. What is the best way to keep your caps from getting sweat stains on them. Is there something I should do immediately after the games.

[johnnyg08]

Spray them with Fabreeze or simply with water before and after your games.

[mrumpiresir]

I spray my hat (and chest protector) with Lysol. It prevents mildew. Every once in a while I throw the hat in the bathroom sink with some laundry detergent and wash by hand, let drip dry then crease. Richardson hats do not shrink like the New Era hats do.

[th3]

i wash my hats in the washing machine and leyt them air dry

[NWA_UMP]

Woollite, cold water, gentle cycle and air dry...

[Umpire in Chief]

Spray with water and Lysol.

But caps are completely disposable. If you even have to question if your hat is too dirty or needs to be replaced ditch it. Get a new one.

When it comes to appearance after having a clean well pressed uniform, the cap is the next most important. Dirty caps are a pet peeve of mine.

[Nate]

Scrubbing bubbles works great.

[blue32]

When you first get your hats, spray them with Scotch Guard. Then spray them a couple more times during the season. Be liberal with the spray, on the inside and out. It will prevent sweat stains from appearing. I have done this for a few years, and have had very minimal stains, and when I do, they come right out by spraying some water and rubbing it with a rag.

[Thunderheads]

I've also heard of water before and after which helps to a certain amount .....

I've also heard, from Kevin Finnerty, that a solution of Febreeze and water works also

[semper_fi_72]

Wash them in the washing machine and then air dry them while they sit on a bowl.

Beware of Scrubbing Bubbles or other chemicals.

I don't remember what it was I used, but I once used a spray that is used before washing items and then rinsed it out with a hose. It did not all come out and next time I wore the hat my forehead was chemically burned by the remaining chemicals in the hat.

Felt and looked like I had a bad burn for a week.

Just remembered.

It was Spray and Wash

[Kevin Finnerty]

I'm a believer in the benefits of Lysol, Scotchguard, and several other handy chemicals, but not for something I am going to have on my head or have come in contact my skin. Semper Fi said it beautifully. It is not healthful. I Scotchguard the collars of my Majestic jerseys, but they get washed and don't come in contact with my skin right after I treat them, unlike the cap or the CP.

Stay away from Lysol and Scotchguard for your CP and cap. A simple spraying and an occasional mild soapy washing are all that a cap requires. Like Thunder stated, plain water, or a little Febreze in the water and the salt stains melt away. And spraying your cap before you go out to sweat it up does work. The stains won't form that way.

[Welpe]

I picked up a cap cleaner from Lids that works very well on my football caps. I ran the cap under lukewarm water to soak it, sprayed liberally inside and out and let it sit for 10 minutes. Once that was done, lightly scrub with a soft nylon brush and then rinse and place in cap caddy to dry. With a wool cap, I would put the hat on a couple of times while drying to ensure it doesn't shrink.

Diluted laundry detergent would probably have a similar effect but I like the spray.

Kevin, what does the scotch guarded collar provide? Does it prevent staining?

[Kevin Finnerty]

Kevin, what does the scotch guarded collar provide? Does it prevent staining?

Those all-cotton collars (and sleeve trim) that come on the Majestic fade and pill rather quickly. I discovered that Scotchguard on the collar and sleeve trim every 20 washes or so prevents them from fading and pilling.

[detailshp]

See my post from the stinky chest protector, and it certainly applies to hats.

However, I wouldn't use anything stronger than laundry soap if your going to wash them.

Most laundry soaps have emulsifiers in them to creat lubrication between the cleaning agent and the fabric of the hat. They put this in there so that clothes don't get "washed out" or faded. Quality of the laundry soap will certainly come into play here, and the "no fade" soaps will certainly keep the navy from fading to denim. The cleaning agents of laundry soap work by attaching themselves to the actual stain, altering its chemical structure, and looseing their bonds to the fabric. Agitation and rinsing remove the "suspended" dirt molecule from your clothing.

Scotchguard works by "sealing" the fabric from stains. This is normally done by coating the fabric with some sort of PTFE ostensibly called teflon. There are a lot of variations of this formula, and most if them include some sort of flouride and plastic, but the premise is that your sealing the fabric from stain. The practical application of this scotchguard is good, however, like any layer of protection, can be removed with washings and or repeated friction wear ( for example taking your hat on and off a lot, removing protection from the sweat band )

After all of THAT crap, I would suggest that you "re-apply" your scotch guard coatings to your fabrics periodically. ESPECIALLY if you wash them alot.

Also, I would suggest that you do not "water down" febreeze. When a manufacturer makes a fabric refresher, they formulate it so that normal contact with your skin would not create any discomfort. Watering it down just makes it less effective, there is no danger of applying too much. The lawsuits would be tremendous for any chemical manufacturer who would make a product in a Ready To Use formula that would potentially make a person break out in a rash or hives. Most people dont want to take the time of mixing chemicals, and Febreeze certainly knows this. So, while it will make your supply last longer, there really is not any practical reason ( other than cost ) to water down febreeze. If the smell is too strong to you by using it straight out of the bottle, change to a version of a smell you can stand. Water based enzyme cleaners ( like febreeze ) need to be concentrated enough to "munch " the bacteria in your sweat molecules. Watering them down will reduce this process.

[Welpe]

Kevin that makes sense, thanks.

Detailshp, informative post, thank you!