Hats Cleaners and Cleaner Kits (For All Types of Hats)

You are reading this article because you own a hat and are looking for a sure-shot way to get your hats fresh and clean. Well, we’re glad that you are at the right place and the answer you are looking for is a cap cleaner or a hat cleaner!

Hats and caps travel with us wherever we go, and it’s not practical to hand-wash, machine-wash, or dry clean at all times. Hat cleaners or a cleaning kit is a godsend invention to make every hat and hat owner’s life easy.

As you read on, you’ll get to know why you should be using a hat cleaner or a cleaner kit, what are the best options available in the market currently, and how to choose the right cleaner kit for your perfect hat or cap.

So, are you ready for the adventure? Because we sure are!

Are Hat Cleaners Good for Hats or Caps?

OF COURSE.

A good hat cleaner kit is the best investment you can make for your hat. But it is always important to know which cleaner works for your hat or cap.

Using the incorrect hat cleaner can cause more harm than good. But worry not. That’s why we are here doing this article for you because we know how much your hats and caps mean to you!

Why Should You Use Hat Cleaners?

Hat cleaners are easy-to-use, effective, time-saving, and convenient. Aren’t these good enough reasons to use them? We know you said a ‘yes’. We think so too!

We don’t deny that a good, gentle hand-wash or a machine wash will clean your hats. But hat cleaners are ready-to-use products that free you from the mess of soap and water of a hand-wash and the exorbitant electricity bills of a machine-wash.

Certain fabrics tend to shrink or stretch when washed using water. For such fabrics, there can’t be anything better than a hat cleaner kit. There are hat cleaner kits for every different kind of hat. Whether it’s a straw, felt, leather, baseball, you name the hat, and you have a hat cleaner kit available for it.

How to Use Hat Cleaners?

A typical hat cleaner kit consists of a hat cleaning solution, a horsehair brush, and a microfiber cloth. But depending on the brand as well as the type of hat, the kit can include additional products like a water repellent spray, hat stiffener, and hat cleaning wipes, etc.

Using a hat cleaner is almost a cakewalk. But before using the kit, make sure you read through the instructions given on the product package. As we said earlier, the wrong cleaner can damage your hat, and that’s the last thing you’d want for your hats and caps.

Let’s get into a step-by-step process to understand how hat cleaners are used.

1. Brush the Hat or Cap

If your hat or cap is dusty and dirty, you should first brush off the dust and debris using the horsehair brush that comes with the kit. Once the hat or cap is brushed, we are left to deal with mild or tough stains, which takes us to our second step.

2. Apply Cleaning Solution

Depending on the brand and type of hat, your cleaning solution can be foam-based or liquid-based. They usually come in spray bottles, which makes their application easy. 

Apply required amounts of cleaning solution onto the hat, focusing more on the stained areas. 

3. Scrub the Hat

 With the horsehair brush, give a good scrub of the cleaning solution onto your hat or cap.

TIP: For the best possible results, scrub against the hat.

4. Dry the Hat

Once the scrubbing is done, and the stains are removed, it’s time to air-dry the hat. You can first dab the hat with a lint-free, non-abrasive microfiber cloth that comes with the kit and then air-dry or directly air-dry. 

Find a spot with good air circulation and leave it to dry, keeping away from direct sunlight.

How to Use a Water Repellant Found in the Cleaner Kit?

A typical cleaner kit is used, as mentioned in the previous section. But sometimes, the kit will have a water repellent along with it, especially if it’s a straw-hat cleaner that you’ve purchased.

But what’s the whole deal of using a water repellent? As the name suggests, it helps repel water. Delicate materials like straw aren’t water-friendly, so it is always important to apply a water-repellent before going out with a straw hat, especially to a beach or even on a rainy day.

Now the question is, how do you use it? Let’s take a look at that!

1. Brush the Hat

Whether it’s a cleaning solution or a repellent application that you need to do, the first thing is to brush the hat off dust and debris.

2. Spray the Repellant

Hold the bottle at a distance of about 6”-8” and spray the water-repellent evenly on all sides of the hat. ONLY SPRAY, DO NOT SATURATE.

3. Remove Excess Spray

If there is water repellent on the surface of the hat that hasn’t been absorbed, use a clean cloth and wipe away the excess liquid.

4. Dry the Hat

Air-dry the hat for at least 24 hours. If you think your hat needs stronger protection from water, spray a second coating.

Is It Okay to Clean Any Hat with a Cleaner That Says ‘For All Hat Types”?

It sure is okay.

 But we would always prefer using hat cleaners made for a specific hat type, especially if the hat is made of delicate materials like straw, felt, leather, wool, etc.

The sturdier hats like baseball caps, and caps made of acrylic, cotton and cotton blends, polyester, nylon, etc., can be cleaned with hat cleaners that say “For All Hat Types.”

4 Best Hat Cleaners and Cleaning Kits

Now that you know how amazing hat cleaners are and have decided to buy one, your next worry would be to choose the best one for your hat.

To ease you out of your worry, we have put together a list of the most amazing, tried-and-tested hat cleaner brands, along with their details. Give it a careful read, and by the end of it, we are sure you would’ve found the right cleaner kit for your hat.

1. Paul Lashton Complete Premium Hat Care Kit

For Which Hats: 

Panama hats, straw hats, Montecristi hats

How It Works:

• Brush the Hat off dust and debris
• Apply the ready-to-use foam on your hat. 
• Give a good scrub using the horsehair brush
• Air-dry the Hat

To Use the Water Repellant:

• Brush the hat off dust and debris
• Spray the water-repellant evenly on all sides without saturating the hat.
• Remove excess liquid using a clean cloth
• Air-dry the hat.

The cleaner kit includes:

• Premium Straw Hat Cleaner Ready-To-Use Foam
• Premium Water Repellent for Straw Hats
• Premium Straw Hat Stiffener
• Premium Horsehair Cleaning Brush

2. Valentino Garemi Hat Care Set

 It is one of the best cleaner kits that work for almost all hat types. The kit consists of all organic products. The simple yet powerful cleaner is capable of removing debris and sweat marks without leaving any residue behind.

Along with the eco cleaner, the C shape – 9-inch-long pearwood brush and the waterproof solution that comes along the kit will ensure your hats remain clean and fresh for a long time.

For Which Hats:

Sun hats, baseball caps, flat caps, newsboy, fedora, trilby, pork pie hat, homburg hats, Panama hat, derby hats, western hats, stockman hats, trapper hat, and Stormy Kromer hats.

How It Works:

• Brush the hat to get rid of superficial dust and debris
• Spray the organic cleaner on the hat
• Scrub the hat using the brush
• Air-dry the hat

To Use the Waterproof Protection:

• Brush the Hat
• Spray the waterproof & protection liquid evenly on all sides of the hat
• Remove excess liquid using the cloth provided with the kit
• Air-dry the hat

The Cleaner Kit Includes:

• Organic Eco Cleaner
• C shape – 9-inch-long pearwood brush
• A cloth

3.  Ballcap Buddy Prime Black Edition Cap Cleaner Hat Cleaning Kit 

For Which Caps:

Baseball Cap and its variants like dad hats, snapbacks, Flexi fit, trucker hats, fitted hats, flat bills, and curved bills.

How It Works:

• Brush the hat to remove dust and debris from the cap surface
• Spray the cleaner evenly from all directions.
• Scrub the hat with the brush again.
• Dab the hat with a microfiber cloth to get rid of excess spray and air-dry the hat.

The Cleaner Kit Includes:

• Spray Cleaner
• Soft bristle brush
• Soft microfiber cloth

4. Bickmore Kahl Hat Stiffener 

If you’ve distorted your felt hat’s structure after a wash, this is the perfect option to get it back in shape. The stiffener helps keep your hat’s structure intact and does not affect the hat’s tone, color, or texture. 

IMPORTANT: KAHL’S HAT STIFFENER IS ONLY TO BE APPLIED TO THE BOTTOM RIM OF THE HAT.

For Which Hats:

Felt Hats

How It Works:

• Test the hat for colorfastness before using it.
• Shake the stiffener bottle well. Brush the hat off dust and debris
• Spray the stiffener on the bottom rim of the hat holding the bottle at a distance of 8” – 10”. DO NOT SATURATE THE HAT.
• Air-dry the Hat
• Once the hat is dried, you need to re-shape the hat using steam, or the hat fabric might chip and flake. You can use a pot of boiling water to steam the hat if you don’t have a steamer.

Final Thoughts

Your hats no longer need to wait an entire season to get a wash and be clean. With a hat cleaner or cap cleaner, you can get your hats and caps cleaned right after each use. Isn’t that awesome?

Don’t forget to check out the list of amazing cleaner kits we’ve put together. Pick the right one and make your hats awesome again!