How to Shrink a Cotton Hat and Make it Smaller

Shrink Your Cotton Hat By Soaking Method

This is the easiest, most effective method to shrink your hat. All you have to do is soak your hat in hot water and swish it. According to today.com, hot water doesn’t play any specific role in shrinking your cotton hat. The cotton hat shrinks due to the swishing action in the water.

Materials Needed:

• Hot water
• Tub
• Kitchen tongs

Instructions

Step 1: Fill Hot Water in the Tub

Firstly, start heating water and let it boil. After boiling, pour them into a big tub. The tub should be comfortable enough for your hat to submerge fully.

Step 2: Soak Your Hat into the Hot Water and Swish it

Using your kitchen tongs, soak the hat into the hot water. MAKE SURE you wear a pair of gloves or the kitchen tongs to hold your hat properly to avoid contact with the hot water. Start swishing your hat back-and-forth for about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Dry Your Hat

After soaking and swishing your hat, dry your hat by using a hat form to avoid wrinkles. After drying, try on the hat and feel how the hat fits you. If you feel it needs more shrinkage, repeat the steps.

Shrink Your Cotton Baseball hat in the Washing Machine

Most cotton hats should not be machine washed since the hot tumbling action may ruin the shape of your hat. Hot temperatures in the washing machine can make it very effective at shrinking a cotton hat. If you want to shrink a baseball hat, make use of a baseball hat washing cage, which will protect your hat from the tumbling action of your washing machine.

Materials Needed:

• Top loaded washing machine
• Baseball hat washing cage

Instructions:

Step 1: Fix Your Hat in the Cage

Firstly place your hat inside the hat frame and lock it. Make sure you lock the hat tight enough not to get loosened up during the shrinking process.

Step 2: Put Your Hat in the Washing Machine

To shrink your cotton hat, it’s best to use a top loader washing machine to reduce damage risk. If you have a front-loading washing machine, put your hat in a mesh bag. Load your washing machine with the same colored clothes. Avoid overloading and also adding heavy clothes like towels, jeans, and bedsheets, etc.

Learn more about baseball hat washing cages.

Step 3: Set a Higher Temperature on Your Machine

Set the temperature setting to medium-hot and start the washing machine. The exposure to hot temperatures, along with the tumbling action, makes your cotton hat shrink.

Step 4: Try On the Cap

After taking out the washing machine, try wearing your hat with a plastic bag underneath to avoid wetting. If you feel that your hat should shrink more, go to the next step.

Step 5: Put Your Hat in Dryer

If your hat didn’t shrink enough, put your hat in the dryer and turn on the medium-heat setting. By now, your hat will be more shrunk than before. Dry the hat on a hat form.

Make Your Hat Smaller By Using a Hat Size Reducer Foam

If you have a really oversized hat, this hat reducer foam technique is the best method for you to reduce the size of your hat without shrinking its shape.

You can paste a good length of hat reducer foam underneath the sweatband of your hat if your hat is feeling loose all around. If your hat feels loose only on the sides, take two strips and place in the loose spots as needed.

Materials Needed:

• Hat reducer foam
• Scissors
• Measuring tap

Instructions:

Step 1: Measure the Circumference of Your Hat

Firstly, measure the hat circumference. If you don’t have a measuring tape with you, you can also measure the hat with a string and mark its length using a ruler, or just use the string to measure the foam.

Step 2: Cut The Hat Reducer Foam

As mentioned earlier, you can cut them into a long strip or a few pieces of foam to stick and fill the space of the area you are feeling loose.

Step 3: Perform a Trail Fit

Without peeling the adhesive side, insert them into the sweatband of your hat for a test fit. If you’re feeling satisfied with the fit, go to the next step.

Step 4: Affix the Hat Reducer Foam

Flip open the sweatband of your hat, and peel off the adhesive side of your hat reducer foam. Affix the foam to the inner surface of your hat and fold up the sweatband. Now you’re ready to wear your hat!

Shrink Your Cotton Hat During a Shower

If you’re a laid-back person and don’t want to spend any special time shrinking your cotton hat, this is the best method for you. All you have to do is wear your cotton hat during your shower.

Materials Needed:

• Hot Shower

Instructions:

Step 1: Wear the Cap During the Shower

After washing your hair, put on your shower cap. Take a bath in a hot shower at a moderate temperature you can tolerate. During the process, your cotton hat absorbs all the moisture and soaks up.

Step 2: Dry the Hat

Now, take off your wet hat and dry it in a hat form. You can also use a hairdryer to blow-dry the hat, which causes further shrinkage. Wear it for your next bath, if you need further shrinkage.

Shrink Your Cotton Hat in the Oven

Materials Needed:

• Spray bottles
• Oven
• Hairdryer

Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Spray Your Hat with Cold Water

Firstly, preheat the oven at 300°F (149°C). Now spray your hat with cold water evenly on all sides. Pay attention to the sides and back, but don’t over-wet them. You don’t need to spray water on the brim.

Step 2: Dry and Spray the Hat

Take your hairdryer in hand and set it on the hottest setting. Dry the hat by going forwards and backward to prevent the hat from getting too hot. Rotate your hat and dry it at all sides. Spray the hat again with water.

Step 3: Place Your Hat in the Oven

Before placing your hat in the oven, cover the oven rack with towels. Lay your hat on top of the towels to prevent scorching of the hat which turn it brown.

Step 4: Take Your Hat Out

After heating your hat, take it out and let it cool in a hat form, not for too long. Wear the hat and let it shrink according to your head size. The more you wear the hat, the more it gets adjusted to your head size.