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How To Wash And Clean Wool Hats

Wool Hats & Caps Washing Guide – The Right Way

If you’re here, you might be experiencing either one of these situations; something might have gone wrong when you washed your wool cap, or you still haven’t washed your favorite wool cap since you bought it. Whatever it may be, we appreciate you taking the first step to know how to wash a wool hat.

Before diving into the best method to clean your wool hat, it’s important to understand the material- wool and how you should not wash your wool cap and hats.

What Is Good and Bad About Wool fabric?

As everyone already knows, wool fabric is nothing but the natural fibers from the fleece of goats, sheep, and rabbits manufactured into textile fibers to keep us warm in cold temperatures.

Undoubtedly, wool is second to none for the ultimate warmth and thermal insulation when worn.  Not like any other fibers, even when you’re stuck in a heavy downpour or sweating excessively, wool has excellent moisture-wicking properties to wick away moisture from your body and keep it dry. Additionally, Australian scientists have found wearing wool helps you to sleep better.

The downside of wool is, they are a little tricky to wash. They hold an increased risk of damage and shrinkage when washed without knowing how to wash a wool cap. Secondly, the shocking holes you can notice in your wool cap if you don’t store it properly. Clueless? We are speaking about the pesky fabric-eating bugs.

Can You Wash Wool Hats?

Of course, like any other synthetic caps, wool baseball caps, beanies, and berets can be washed too. But, wash them less frequently when compared to polyester, acrylic, and cotton caps.

Accidental stains, when not treated immediately, can be transformed into permanent stains. If you’re a daily wearer, hand wash them at least once a week. Or else, you can machine wash them safely according to our guide for two to three times in a season.

Wool Hats and Caps Washing Guides

What to Know Before Cleaning a Wool Hat

1. Check The Care Label First

Some caps are hand washable; some allow machine washing, and some prefer to be dry clean. Not all manufacturers produce caps in the same process, even if they are all wool made.

It depends on what type of wool they are made up of; merino or cashmere or angora or alpaca wool or blended; check the care instructions of the cap. 

2. No Usage of Enzyme Based Heavy Duty Detergents

It’s important to check what kind of detergent you’re using. Even if it’s a single wash, heavy-duty detergents which contain bleach and enzymes can leave residue on the delicate fibers of your wool cap and cause pilling.

Instead, always go for a mild detergent that is specially formulated for wool.

3. Avoid Washing in Hot Water, Hot Temperatures, and Tumble Dry

Washing your wool cap in high temperatures and hot water may cause shrinkage and wrinkles on your wool cap. If you want to disinfect your wool cap, sink it in a tub of still warm water.

Make sure you don’t apply any motion to your cap while it’s soaking. Wool in warm water can shrink more in motion. We do not recommend tumble dry for wool. The increased heat, overload, and tumbling motion can deteriorate the quality of your cap and ruin the shape.

4. Don’t Wring or Twist It.

After washing, do not wring your cap to expel the water for drying. Once it’s damaged, it’s damaged. Wringing and squeezing wool can damage its fine fibers and ruin the shape of your favorite cap.

Instead, gently press the water from the cap and let the cap dry flat on a fresh towel.

5. Don’t Use Chlorine Bleach.

Even if you have a white cap in hand, do not use bleach on wool fibers. Despite what you might come across, bleach is a mind-blowing stain remover; but, according to research, its sodium hypochlorite compounds can attack the fine wool fibers, and unfortunately, it can cause yellowish, irreversible discoloration.

How to Wool Hats

How to Hand-wash Wool Hats

How to Hand-wash Wool Hats?

Undoubtedly, handwashing is the quick, best method to wash your cap and retain its shape and color for a long time.

Materials Needed:

Instructions:

Step1: Fill The Tub or Sink With Cold Water

Firstly, fill the tub with cold water to submerge your cap and add a tsp of wool detergent to the tub. Swish the water in the tub.

Step 2: Submerge Your Cap and Wait for a While

Submerge your cap into the tub and soak it for a while. The mild detergent will activate into the fibers to remove the odor and body oils. Don’t soak for more than 20 minutes.

Step 3: Rinse

Rinse the cap under running water and use your hands to remove all the soapy remains which stick to the corners of the cap.

Step 4: Flat Dry Your Cap

Gently press the water out of the cap by laying it flat. Remember, do not wring or twist it. After expelling most water, let it dry flat without sunlight on a clean towel and flip them on both sides.

How to Machine Wash Wool Hats

How to Machine Wash Wool Hats?

Materials Needed:

Instructions:

Step 1: Insert the wool cap into a laundry mesh bag.

Inserting your cap in a mesh bag is an excellent idea to protect the delicate fibers of the cap from snapping and sticking to other dirty clothes. If you don’t have a mesh bag in hand, you can also use a pillowcase.

Ensure you wash the cap with similarly colored, not too dirty, and not too many overloaded clothes.

Step 2: Set a Delicate Cycle

If you have a wool or hand wash cycle, make the most of it. The increased spinning cycle could destroy the wool fibers.

Step 3: Set a Cool Temperature and Use a Mild Detergent

The average temperature for washing wool caps is 20°C to 30°C. The cooler, the better. Use a mild detergent for washing.

Step 4: Dry the Cap

Keep the wet cap on a clean surface and gently use your hands to press out the water. Let it flat dry on a fresh towel by flipping on both sides frequently.

You can also hang your cap on the line without exposure to direct sunlight. After half-dried, wear the cap onto a bowl to bring it back into shape.

How to Spot Clean Sweat Stains

How to Spot Clean Sweat Stains?

Sweat stains should be treated immediately! Rinse your cap in cold water and gently brush the stains with the help of a soft-bristled toothbrush and mild stain remover.

If you don’t have a stain remover in hand, spot clean them by dipping the toothbrush into white, diluted vinegar. According to healthline, vinegar’s acetic acid is very mild, non-toxic, and wouldn’t harm fabrics. After pretreating the stains, hand wash the cap to remove the vinegar odor. 

How to Unshrink or Stretch your Wool Cap?

Did you notice wrinkles or your wool hat has turned smaller in size? No worries!

Wash them by hand washing method and dry them by pressing the water in a clean towel. Gently try to stretch your wool beanie with your hands back to its original shape. This method is called blocking, which unlocks the locked woolen fibers and stretches to the maximum.

How To Shrink Your Wool cap?

Do you want to shrink your daddy’s unused wool cap since it’s bigger for your head?

Even though machine wash can shrink your cap, it holds risks to damage the shape of your cap.

The best method to shrink your cap is, spray your wool cap evenly with water and let it dry in a warm environment. Let them dry for 30 minutes. Put on your cap; if you need more shrinkage, repeat the same method. Remember to spray it with water in-between.

How to Remove the Odor of Your Cap Without Washing?

If you hate washing your caps and want to remove the odor without washing, you’re not alone! Here is an instant method for every one of you.

Sprinkle some baking soda onto your cap, especially to the inner crown, sweatband of your cap, wait for a while, and shake it out. Put on your refreshed cap!

How to Reduce Washing Your Cap Frequently?

  1. If you sweat excessively and are pushed to wash your cap many times, try inserting your cap with paper towels and napkins to absorb your sweat and body oil.
  1. After every usage, wipe the inner crown with a damp cloth and rubbing alcohol which will kill the bacteria and get rid of the stinking smell.
  1. Turn the cap inside out after every use and leave it to breathe fresh air. Do not dry them in sunlight, as it will fade the cap.
  1. Ensure you clean and store the cap and hats properly in airtight bags, containers, or cedar drawers at the end of the season.

As wool is a natural fabric, moths, carpet beetles, silverfish, and other fabric-eating bugs love to live on them and make holes! So make sure you have mothballs in your closets too.

Wool Hats & Caps Washing

Final Thoughts

Now you might have a clear idea of what your cap is going through and how you should clean your wool cap. Is anything still holding you back?

Because it’s your favorite wool cap?

Without a second thought, you should go for hand washing. Better safe than sorry.

Washing machines and dishwashers can ruin the shape of your cap if you wash them frequently without following the proper instructions in our guide.

Sprinkling baking soda in a cap works wonders to remove the odor without washing. Whether your cap is pilling, shrinking, shedding, or stinking, don’t you think you should end it now by following our ultimate guide on how to wash your wool hat?

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