How to Wash a Cap by Hand

Whether you wear a cap to keep your eyes out of the sun, for good luck for your favorite football team, or simply to hide stubborn strands of hair, at some point you’ll probably have to wash your hat. Often people choose the safe way is to wash by hand. You don’t want to ruin your favorite hat, do you? Whether made of cotton, wool, or any other material, most caps can be washed with just a little soap, water, and a clean towel. Let the hat dry when it’s done washing, and your hat will be ready to serve again!

Table of Contents

Washing a new cap

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Prepare a container of water. You can use a clean bucket, but a kitchen or bathroom sink is also convenient. Fill the container with water. Cold water is best, but if the hat is too dirty you can use slightly warm water. Never use hot water, as hot water can damage the hat. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Mix a little soap in the water. Any regular laundry soap that doesn’t contain bleach will work. You don’t need a lot of soap – about 1 tablespoon is enough. Make sure the soap is completely dissolved in the water. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Treat dirty areas first. If there are particularly dirty areas, such as mud or stains, you can pre-wash them. Dip a cotton swab or old toothbrush in the soapy water you’re using and gently scrub it. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Soak the hat. Dip your hat in a mixture of cool water and soap to hydrate, then you can go to work! Soak the hat for a while, preferably a few hours. This step will gently clean the hat. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You can lift your hat every now and then to see if the dirt and grime has melted away.

Rinse off soap bubbles. Empty the soapy water after soaking the hat. Place the cap under warm (not hot) running water to rinse off the soap bubbles. This step will help remove any remaining stains. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Blot the hat dry. You can use a clean towel to dry the hat. This will remove quite a bit of water. Remember to gently pat your hands and don’t rub them. When the hat is dry, you just need to let the air dry. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

You can snap the hat over a melon, ball, or round object to keep its shape while it dries, or put it on your head until it dries.
Do not put the hat in the dryer to avoid damaging the hat.

Washing woolen cap

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Buy laundry detergent specifically for wool. Wool fibers are quite strong and durable, but they also require a separate wash. Look for soaps that say wool-specific or wool-safe. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Soak the hat for a few hours. Dissolve a small amount of wool-safe soap (about 1 tablespoon) in a bucket or sink of cool water. Soak the beanie in soapy water for about 1 hour. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

If the hat is very dirty, you can wash the dirty area first by dipping the hat in water and scrubbing it with your hands or an old toothbrush. Do not rub too hard to avoid damaging the wool.

Washing old caps

Test the color fastness of the hat before washing. Old baseball caps are great collectibles, but sometimes it’s hard to know what they’re made of or how to take the best care of them. In general, you can wash your old baseball cap with a mixture of cool water and a little soap. However, you should test a piece of cloth with soapy water on an inconspicuous area (such as the inner rim of a hat) to test before washing. ^{[11] X Research Source}

If the color of the hat is smeared on the fabric or seems to have soaked into the water, do not wash the hat yourself. Either you take it to the laundromat, or you just leave it as is.
If the color doesn’t bleed, you can wash the hat with soap and water.

Pre-treat the dirty spots on the old hat. Old hats tend to break more easily, so don’t completely immerse them in water. Instead, you should use a soft cloth or old toothbrush dipped in a mixture of cool water and a little soap and gently clean the dirty areas. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Once the stains have come off, dip the cloth in clean cool water and dab it on the hat to remove the soap.

Advice

If you’re not sure what your hat is made of, look for a label on the inside of the brim. If the hat has a label, it will have the material of the hat on it.

Warning

Do not use bleach to wash the hat, as it will stain the hat.
Some new-style caps are machine washable. Check the label on the hat. If the label doesn’t say machine washable, wash it by hand. ^{[13] X Research Source}
Never wash your cap in the dishwasher. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Steps

Washing a new cap

Washing woolen cap

Washing old caps

Advice

Warning

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