How to Wear a Snapback Hat & Look Stylish
If you think that wearing a snapback is all about sun…
20 Jul 2019 | Mark
Different hats have different purposes. Regardless of that purpose, if you fall in love with it, you might wear a hat into the ground—even if it was originally intended for light duty only. Do you find yourself donning a favorite fedora, boater, bowler, Panama, or Hamburg hat every time you head out the door for a hot date or fun with friends? Cowboy, baseball, bucket, and duncher caps can get pretty grimy fairly quickly due to the hard work, play, fishing, and, uh, sheep-herding that they are often used for. And, of course, your fine felt hats, with enough wear, can start looking grungy, too.
Because a good hat can take a beating from the sweat and oils that build up on it with frequent use, we have put together a list of tips for getting sweat stains out of a variety of headwear.
Before we start, however, there are a couple of steps you should take before you attempt any cleaning at home. These are standard for all hat-cleaning endeavors, so we will refer to these steps as “The List.”
The List
Straw
In the summertime when the weather is hot, you’ll probably stretch right up and grab your straw hat off its hook. Straw hats come in a lot of different shapes, sizes, and styles, but they are typically worn when the weather is warm and sunny because they provide much-needed ventilation while being lightweight on your head. Most styles come with some sort of brim which can keep the sun off your ears and neck better than a baseball cap would, but the additional texture from the straw can prove difficult to clean.
Felt and Wool
Felt and wool can be fussy and prone to shrinking and stretching, so use a gentle hand when cleaning them.
Cotton, Jersey, Polyester
These fabrics are typically the most forgiving, but there is still an element of technique that you should follow.
a. Pretreat the stain with a little bit of OxiClean or a baking soda paste. You can even rub this in using a soft-bristled brush like an old toothbrush and then let it sit for a few minutes.
b. Drop the hat in a large bucket or bowl of warmish water that has about a tablespoon of bleach-free clothes detergent mixed in. Next, swirl your hat around in the solution. Let the hat soak for about four hours.
c. Use cool water to rinse the hat until the water runs clear and you don’t see any more suds.
d. Squeegee off as much water as possible without completely destroying the hat’s shape.
e. If you have a hat form or a spare mannequin head laying around, let your hat air dry in a warm place out of direct sunlight.
Leather and Suede
If you’ve tried the appropriate method outlined above, and you still have a doggedly tenacious stain on your favorite hat, you might consider taking it to a dry cleaner and asking for advice. Otherwise, you may need to use a little bit of that birthday money from Grandma and get yourself a new cap.
Hats are always part of a fashion statement. You can be expressive as you want to be in any season. There’s a hat good for summer, winter, spring or autumn. Regardless of the weather, it protects your head and you have to clean and protect it as well. Proper ways of cleaning it can be found in this infographic.
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