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How To Wash A Flat Bill Hat – Quick & Easy Cleaning Methods
What’s your cool vibe look? Baggy jeans, a white tee, a faded denim jacket, and sneakers. Perfect, right? NOOOO. Where’s that flat bill hat to complete the look? Probably getting ruined in the corner of your cupboard or the basement, isn’t it? Girls and boys, it’s time to take them out because, from today, you’ll no more have dirty flat bill hats with you, because today you’ll get to know how to wash your flat bill hats.
Snapbacks are the most commonly seen flat bill hats. If yours is a snapback, you can follow this guide to get them as new as good.
Can You Wash Flat Bill Hat?
It’s a great question with a great answer – YES.
You might be wondering, won’t the shape of our flat bill hats get distorted if we wash it at home? Wouldn’t it be better to take them to a professional? Well, we won’t discourage you from taking them to a professional, but we’d always suggest giving your flat bill hat a shot at washing by yourself first.
After all, what are we here for if not to guide you guys to washing your flat bill hats without ruining them!
What to Know Before Cleaning a Flat Bill Hat?
If you want to wash and clean them the safest way possible, do not skip reading this section. You’ll know the basic DOs and DON’T’s of washing your flat bill hats here.
1. Read Your Hat Care Label
You ever paid attention to the small tag that you see on your hat? If not, do it now. It has all the information that you need to know about cleaning and washing your flat bill hats.
2. Know the Material
The most common materials flat bill hats come in are acrylic and cotton. And lucky us, these are not very complicated materials to handle! Most of them can be easily hand-washed and machine-washed. Nevertheless, it is always important to check what material your hats are made to choose the best washing method.
3. AVOID Bleach
If you want your flat-billed hats hale and hearty, avoid bleaches. These can fade your hat’s color, and that’s the last thing you want! Even when using laundry detergents, make sure the one you are using does not have bleach content.
4. ONLY Air-Dry the Hats
It is an unbreakable rule to drying any cap. In the case of flat bill hats, you can hang them up to dry naturally or even dry them on a coffee can or a jam bottle. How creative is that!
How To Wash A Flat Bill Hat?
How to Hand-Wash Flat Bill Hat?
When it comes to washing them, there is no better way than a good hand-wash. You have complete control over your hat, and by the end of the wash, your flat bill would still be flat and not distorted.
That’s enough of small talk guys, let’s get down to actual business now!
Materials Needed:
- Liquid Soap
- A bucket, sink, or tub
- Coldwater
- Hand gloves (optional)
Instructions:
Step 1: Wear the Gloves
If you are allergic to soaps or anything of the sort, always make sure you have worn gloves. Even if you are not allergic, it’s a good practice as some soaps can roughen up your palms over time.
Step 2: Soak the Hat
In a bucket, sink, or tub filled with water, soak your flat bill hat.
Step 3: Add Liquid Soap
Add about a tablespoon of liquid soap to the water in which the cap is soaked. Gently work on the soap and water mixture to form a good lather. Carefully agitate your hat, scrubbing specifically on the stained areas.
Step 4: Submerge the Hat in Soapy Water
Submerge the hat in soapy water for about 15 minutes. Do not keep the heat in the soapy solution for too long. Soap might damage the fabric.
Step 5: Drain and Rinse
Drain the soapy water and fill the bucket, sink, or tub with fresh water. Wash away all the soap and dirt and drain again. Finally, give a good rinse under running cold water. By now, all the residual soap and dirt will be removed.
Step 6: Dry the Hat
Like we said earlier, always air-dry your hat. Keep away from direct sunlight, for it will ruin your hat.
How to Spot Clean a Flat Bill Hat?
Water is never good for a hat’s longevity. And that’s a sad truth. But because it is impossible not to get a hat dirty, you will have to wash it at some point.
Now, there can be two situations. Either your entire hat is dirty and needs to be cleaned wholly, or just a specific area is dirty. Do you need to wash the whole hat in the latter case? Of course not; we have the spot cleaning method aimed at removing stains from specific areas.
Let’s see how.
Materials Needed:
- Warm water
- Mild soap
- Soft-bristled toothbrush
- Clean towel
Instructions:
Step 1: Make the Cleaning Agent
To ¼ cup warm water, add about ¼ cup of mild soap. Mix it well so that the soap is spread uniformly.
Step 2: Scrub the Stains
Dip a soft-bristled toothbrush in the cleaning agent and gently scrub the specific stain areas in a circular motion. Make sure you aren’t too hard on the fabric while scrubbing.
Step 3: Wipe Down and Dry
Dampen the clean towel a bit and use it to wipe away all the dirt and residual soap from the hat. Make sure all the soap is completely removed, or else the soap can damage the fabric.
Air-dry the hat in a spot with good air circulation, away from direct sunlight.
How to Wash Flat Bill Hats in Washing Machine?
If you are reading this, you’ve probably chosen to wash your flat bills in the machine, which is okay, as long as the care label says the same.
Materials Needed:
Instructions:
Step 1: Pre-treat the Stains
It is difficult to remove specific stains with a mere machine wash. You’ll get the best possible results only if you pre-treat the stains with a stain remover. Leave it for about 30 minutes or more, depending on how bad the stain is.
Step 2: Use a Mesh Bag
If it’s a machine, the hat is obviously going to go through some rough movement inside. To avoid any damage to the hat in this process, always place your flat bills inside a mesh bag before tossing them in the machine.
Step 3: Set Your Machine Controls
Adjust your machine to a delicate cycle and use only cool water.
Step 4: Dry the Hat
Once the wash cycle is over, take out the hat and get it drying. Ensure you only air-dry, away from direct sunlight.
How to Wash Flat Bill Hats in Dishwasher?
Not many people think dishwashers are safe for washing hats, but allow us to break the myth – YOU CAN as long as you follow instructions correctly. But let us tell you this one thing, not all hats can be washed in a dishwasher – only the sturdier ones survive. And fortunately for our flat bills, they are strong enough to take on a dishwasher!
Let us show you how.
Materials Needed:
Instructions:
Step 1: Pre-treat the Stains
Apply a small amount of stain remover on the specific stained areas. Leave for about 30 minutes or more depending on the amount of staining.
Step 2: Place Your Flat Bill in a Hat Frame
Putting your hats directly in the dishwasher is never a good idea. If you want to do it this way, always use a hat frame. It will protect your hat from getting distorted.
Step 3: Add the Dishwasher Detergent
Add required amounts of detergent in the soap dispenser. Ensure the detergent is bleach-free and non-lemon scented. The acidity in lemon is bad for the fabric.
Step 4: Set Your Dishwasher Controls
Dishwashers use hot water and that’s common knowledge. Hot water isn’t exactly good for your hat’s fabric but what we can do is to ALWAYS place your hat in the top-most rack of the dishwasher because the heating is less severe here. Do not forget to turn off the HEAT DRY option.
Step 5: Dry the Hat
Once the wash cycle is over, take out the hat and leave it to air-dry.
How to Get Sweat Stains Out of a Flat Bill Hat?
Flat bills hats are more of a summer thing, right? So, there is no way they can escape the nasty sweat stains. But don’t worry, we got you covered on this one. Sweat stains are tricky to remove, and it is best to clean them after every use rather than wait a whole week or a month and then trying to get them out in one go!
Like we always say, prevention is better than cure. If it’s not too much asking, try placing paper towels within your sweatbands before wearing them. Doing this will help control the number of sweat stains on your hat.
Now, if your hat already has sweat stains, you can use fuller’s earth to get rid of them. Sprinkle a small amount of it on the stain and leave it for about 2-3 hours and wipe them away with a brush.
How to Preserve the Shape of Flat Bill Hat After Washing?
If your flat bill hat is no longer in perfect shape, the whole purpose of the hat is lost. So, you must know how to maintain it.
There’s only one and only one rule – NEVER hold your flat bill hat by its crown. Always pick your hat from the back or the bill side. The crown part is what tends to get distorted easily.
How to Dry Flat Bill Hat?
Though we’ve constantly been talking about air-drying a hat, we want to show you the exact steps of how to do them perfectly. Once the hat is washed, there are three steps that you need to follow:
1. Use a Towel
Right after a wash, make sure you do not TWIST or WRING your hat. To remove the excess dripping after, place them on a clean towel. It will absorb all the dripping water.
2. Dab the Hat with Towel
Use the same towel and gently dab on the hat to remove all the remaining water. While doing this, ensure you fluff the hat to retain its shape.
3. Place the Hat for Drying
You can either chose to keep the hat on the towel or place the hat on a coffee can or a jar. Leave it to dry naturally.
How to Care for Flat Bill Hat?
By now, you’d have a fresh-looking and clean hat in your hands. But is the story over yet? NO WAY. Caring for your hats is equally important. The next time you leave your flat bill hat lying on your bed or just about anywhere in the house, think twice.
Here are few tips that’ll help you take care of your hat a tad better.
1. Store Hats in a Clean and Dry Place
The last thing you want your newly washed hats to have is mildew or some fungus. Always make sure you store your hats in a clean and dry place.
2. Use a Hat Box
The best gift you can give your hat is a hatbox. A hatbox will ensure your hat remains moisture-free and safe.
3. Use a Cloth Steamer
We said CLOTH STEAMER, NOT AN IRON. If you want to keep your hat fresh and in great shape, you can always use a cloth steamer to steam the flat bill gently.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to be a hip-hop artist or a baseball player, or even a Justin Bieber to rock a flat bill hat look. So don’t fall back on your fashion game just because they’re dirty. Since we just taught you the best way to wash a flat bill hat.
Go wear your clean flat bills and complete your cool vibe look!
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