How To Wash Dad Hats – Easy Dad Hat Cleaning Tips

So, dad hats. We all love them, don’t we? They complete your ultimate cool and relaxed look. You can’t live without your dad hats because they look so good with everything, which means you use them a lot! And what happens when you use them a lot? The hats are going to get dirty. And we know cleaning and washing hats are such banal tasks, but guess what, we are here to make cleaning and washing your dad hats a fun job. So, how to wash dad hats? 

Not just washing, there are so many hat troubles that you might have encountered, fading color, distorted brims, etc. But we will be giving you solutions to all of that. And in the next 5-10 minutes, you will have mastered the art of cleaning and caring for your dad hats.

Well, before we get to that, there are many things we need to know about dad hats. We know dad hats are pretty similar to baseball caps. There are, of course, differences, but if you have had the experience of washing a normal baseball cap, chances are you might find handling dad hats less daunting!

How Do You Know if Your Hat is Washable?

It is a great question. But with a simple answer. You have your care label attached to almost all hats and caps. They will have all the information that you need to know about your hats.

Pretty easy, right?

Why is the Care Label so Important?

The Care label is like a mini-biography of your hat. But we’ll tell you exactly what information the label holds, and you will be surprised.

1. Washing Methods

The label will tell you whether your hat can be hand-washed, machine-washed, or both. If the label says all three are okay, then you are free to choose the most convenient method.

2. Bleaching

Not all clothes can be bleached. And some clothes might not be able to withstand a particular kind of bleach, like chlorine. These instructions will be specified on the label.

3. Drying

The label will tell you if a product, dad hat, in our case, can be dried in the machine or needs to use some other method. Generally, it is never advised to dry them in a machine for hats due to the high intensity of heat from the tumbling action. If a high temperature can cause damage to your hat, the label will mention the exact temperature setting as well. 

4. Ironing

If our product can be ironed, it will be mentioned specifically on the care label. However, if high temperatures do not affect the product, the exact temperature setting need not be mentioned.

5. Warnings

If you notice, you might have seen words like ‘DO NOT,’ ‘ONLY,’ etc. You need to be extra careful about such information because missing out on them can be extremely harmful to your product. For instance, if your dad hat is colorfast, your label will probably read ‘wash with like colors or ‘wash separately.’

6. Dry Cleaning 

If your label says ‘dry clean only,’ you do not have to read this article further because you have only one option: to take your hats to a dry-cleaner. Sometimes, the label will also mention which specific solvent is safe for a particular product. So always proceed as per those directions.

Wow! That’s a whole lot of information that a small label can say. Now you know how important it is to read your label, even more, important than your textbooks, maybe?

How Well Do You Know Your Dad Hat?

By this, we mean how well do you know the material of your dad hat? Your washing methods are going to depend on what material the hat is made out of.

Most of the time, dad hats are made out of canvas, cotton, or cotton blends. Now, these are easily washable fabrics for sure, but you still need to take care of a few things before jumping the gun.

What to Know Before Cleaning a Dad Hat?

We understand that you are distressed about your dirty dad hats, but we want to tell you what not to do while cleaning your hats before we tell you what to do. Let’s get to know them one by one.

1. Know Your Hat’s Brim

Your dad hat’s brim can be made out of either plastic or cardboard. Now, if your hat’s brim is cardboard, things are a little tricky. Since cardboard is paper, you cannot wash them. So, your best bet is spot treatment if you want to clean it at home. We will tell you how in the section below.

But if it is plastic, check your label and go ahead with what it says.

2. Dishwasher – Yes, or No?

Firstly, no hat label is ever going to come saying ‘dishwasher friendly,’ which tells you the hats shouldn’t be washed in dishwashers. It has always been a highly debated topic amongst common people and hat connoisseurs. 

While the latter is strictly against the idea of washing hats in a dishwasher because of the harsh detergents and high intensity of heat inside it, the former sees dishwashers as an easy, convenient method.

But what do we think? We don’t recommend dishwashers. But if you choose to go ahead, dad hats, being comparatively of sturdy nature, can withstand a dishwasher, as long as precautions are followed properly. As we advance, we will show you the dishwasher method as well.

How to Do the Spot Test on Your Dad Hat?

Dampen a soft toothbrush or a plain white cloth in warm water and gently rub it on a small unnoticeable, or underside of the hat. If you see the color coming off, then you will know that the hat will not withstand any washing that involves water. You will need to take your hat to a professional cleaner.

 Otherwise, you are good to go ahead with the washing methods discussed below.

How to Hand-Wash Dad Hat?

We know you always want to explore the easiest methods first, which is the most logical thing to do. You can use more than one method to hand-wash your dad hat depending on the amount of stain in your hat – a quick clean or a deep clean method.

But before we proceed with the hand-wash method, it is advised that you do a spot test to see if your hat is going to bleed colors.

Final Thoughts

Didn’t we make the daunting how to wash dad hats question easier? Nothing is impossible if you love your hats and want to see them live longer on your head. Treat them with love, and they will love you back. That’s the way with hats. Agree with us?