Table of Contents:
John asked: How do I clean a black felt hat? It has deep dust stains and lint on it.
Felt
hats are classic and versatile hats that have been around for years. Proper care not only keeps the hat clean and looking good, it is essential for extending the life of the hat. Generally, cleaning and caring for your felt hat is simple and can be done with a few simple steps. Here are the general guidelines for keeping your hat in beautiful, wearable condition.
You Will Need:
- Soft hat brush (dark colored for dark hats and light colored for light hats)
- Wide tape such as masking or painter’s tape
- An absorbent powder
- A vacuum
- A breathable cloth
- Water
- Mild soap like shampoo
- Old toothbrush
Steps to Clean the Hat:
- Start by removing dirt from the surface of the hat with a hat brush. Gently brush the surface of the hat starting on the left and working counter-clockwise around to the back.
- To remove lint from the hat, wrap wide tape around your hand so that the sticky side is facing out.
- Gently press the tape against the areas with lint. Apply just enough pressure so the lint will adhere to the tape.
- Lift quickly to remove. You should see the lint transferred to the tape.
- Repeat until all of the lint is removed.
- If the hat is exceptionally dirty and needs a deep cleaning, sprinkle it with an absorbent powder that is a similar color to the felt. For white hats, use baking soda. For dark hats, use wheat germ. Corn meal is a good choice for tan hats. For dyed hats, baking soda is probably the best choice.
- Let the powder sit on the hat for several hours to absorb the dirt and oils.
- Shake off the powder, then wrap a breathable cloth like cheesecloth over a vacuum hose to reduce the suction and use the hose to remove the rest of the powder.
- Brush the hat again with a hat brush.
- Lastly, turn the sweatband down and allow it to dry completely. By turning it out, the oils and perspiration will evaporate rather than soak into the felt on the hat.
- If the sweatband needs to be cleaned, this can be done with great caution not to get the hat wet. Moisten a towel or toothbrush with water and a mild soap. Shampoo works well for this. Gently scrub the sweatband to remove any dirt and stains.
- Rinse the sweatband by wiping it with a damp cloth several times, then blot it with a soft cloth to dry. Again, avoid getting any water/detergent on the actual hat as it will leave spots.
Additional Tips and Ideas
- If none of the above processes are helpful, you can try using a pool table felt cleaner. Follow the instructions on the label of your selected product.
- Avoid placing the brim of the hat on a flat surface as it can cause it to flatten and lose its shape. Always set it upside-down on the crown.
- Store your hat in a hat box or on a clean surface to prevent stains and discolorations.
- When moving the hat around, try to adjust it using the brim, rather than the crown. Avoid touching the crown to keep away oils and dirt that may cause spots.
- Heat can cause the sweatband inside of the hat to shrink, leaving you with a hat that is too small. Keep your hat in a cool location.
- If you need a hat stand, one can quickly be made at home by covering an oatmeal container or coffee can.
I have my grandfather’s hat since his death almost forty-five years ago.
Although it is in a hat box for protection in the top of the closet, it still got damaged over the years. It has water circles around the brim and is molded spots on it. I want to clean it and keep it as long as can. Do you know what to clean it with or is it too late? Thank you so much for the advice.
My husband spilled Coca-Cola on the brim of a nice felt hat. How can I get the stain out? It is only on the under side of the brim.
I have a 100% wool felt hat; would cleaning be the same that has been listed? Brush, cloth and mild soap, and is there a way to protect it from rain and stains with some known spay for wool/felt hats? Thank you very much for all your help.
One of my kids spilt cereal on my husband’s hat and it has brown cereal all on top of the brim. How do I get it off without tearing off the felt or ruining it? This is the last hat that my husband’s mom bought him before she passed away. It would mean so much to him if I can get all of that off of there and he can start wearing it again. Please let me know if you can help. Thank you and God bless.
Jennifer,
First, try to determine if the felt is natural (wool) or synthetic. If the hat is wool or if you’re not sure, you can try having it dry cleaned. Another idea is to take the hat to a cobbler (they sometimes work with hats too).
If it’s synthetic, you can try using a pet enzyme cleaner (pet stain and odor remover that contains enzymes). These cleaners contain bacteria that will eat all of the organic matter (removing all traces of stains and odors), then disappear. They usually can’t be used on wool though because they will eat the wool too. Read the label of various products to see which one might be best for synthetic felt; I would probably choose an upholstery cleaner over a carpet or laundry cleaner. Since it’s best not to get felt wet, try applying it with a cotton swab to just a small spot and seeing how that turns out. You may need to reapply it several times if the cereal residue is thick, but by applying a little at a time, you can probably use it to eat up all the cereal residue without leaving any additional liquid marks. Wait several hours between applications, or however long the directions on the specific product say to wait. This should theoretically work, but having never tried it myself, I’d recommend that you use caution and test a small hidden area first.
Hi,
I bought a felt hat, but it’s shape needs fixing. How can I reshape it to its original shape?
Many thanks,
Saeed
Saeed,
The most common method for reshaping a felt hat is to hold it over a steaming teapot briefly to steam it and reshape it with your fingers while it’s warm.
Source: Wikihow – How to Reshape a Vintage Hat
Source: Village Hat Shop – How to Steam and Reshape a Hat
Hi. The top of my western (Eddy Bauer) hat (crown) has gradually become saturated with natural hair oil. My hat is at least 20 years old and in otherwise splendid shape. It is a wool felt crushable hat. How can I remove the oil without damaging the dark brown color of the hat?
Joe,
Use the absorbent powder method (step 6). The powder will absorb the hair oil. If wheat germ is not the right color for your hat, you can use fresh dry coffee grounds. The powder is brushed off, but color matching is done as a precaution in case any powder is difficult to remove, such as baking soda, which is a very fine powder (and can therefore be difficult to remove sometimes).
Is there any way to clean the INSIDE of the hat?
Kids got something sticky inside the hat and it’s kinda gross.
Damon,
Use the steps (11 & 12) for the sweatband. Still be cautious not to soak the hat, but since it’s on the inside, it won’t matter much if there’s a water stain that remains. Using a distilled water can help to prevent a water stain, and so can using fan or hair dryer on cool air to dry the material. Good luck!
I have an old army hat. Over the years it has become very hard and stiff. Is there anything I can do to bring it back and make it more plyable?
Loarel,
You can try gently working the fabric with your hands to loosen it up. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly first to remove any finger oils. If that doesn’t work, try waving it over a pot of boiling water or steaming tea-pot for a few seconds, then working it with your hands. Good luck!
Source: The Fedora Lounge – Softening a Hat
Source: LiveStrong – How to Break in a Stetson Hat