Whether you use your baseball cap for protection from the sun, to cheer on your favorite team or to hide bad hair, you will need to clean the cap at some point. It is advisable to hand-wash your baseball cap rather than wash it using a washing machine. This is so that you do not end up ruining the colors or even the shape of the cap when washed with a washing machine. Most baseball caps irrespective of their material (wool, cotton or any other material) can be cleaned easily by hand using a detergent, a cloth, and water. After washing the cap, you should then let air dry preferably in a shade.
Here are a few tips on “The Best Way To Clean A Baseball Cap”:
Get a suitable cleaning agent
Cotton and wool baseball caps are cleaned using different cleaning agents. This is because the fibers in these materials are different and as such, they should be cleaned using an agent that will be efficient depending on the fibers you are cleaning. If you are cleaning a wool baseball cap, use a cleaning agent that is exclusively manufactured for cleaning these caps. The same also applies for cotton caps.
Test the cap for color fastness before washing it
Generally, you can clean baseball caps with cool water and detergent. However, you need to consider the colors in the caps so that you do not end up damaging the appearance of the cap. Use a cloth soaked in detergent to rub a colored patch on the cap. If the color seems to rub off, do not use a detergent to clean the cap. Alternatively, you should consider taking the cap to a professional cleaner for specialized cleaning. However, if the color appears to hold when rubbed off with a cloth, you can clean the cap with water and an efficient detergent.
Do not soak cardboard trim caps
Cardboard brim caps are hydrophobic in that they should not be soaked in water as they deform and the color also gets stained as the caps are not colorfast. The best way to clean these caps is by soaking a piece of cloth in water and using it to rub off the dirt patches on the cap. Rub off the dirt gently while ensuring that water does not soak the cardboard brim. These caps require to be taken care of well as excessive exposure to sun or contact with rain will also deform them.
Cleaning jersey mesh baseball caps
Jersey mesh caps are usually the easiest to clean and also dry faster than any other types of caps. These caps are rugged and are also colorfast and hence do not require any detailed considerations when washing. The caps are however not fashionable but are functional as the perforations allow air flow into the cap thereby bringing about a great cooling effect. These caps can be washed with cool water and detergent and then hung out to dry. You should avoid hanging out the cap to dry for too long as the sun has a damaging effect on the caps in the long run.
Soak baseball caps in water before cleaning
For colorfast hats, it is advisable to soak them in water with detergent as this allows dirt and stains on the cap to come off with much ease. Soaking also makes it possible to clean the cap without having to use excessive effort and thereby preventing the fibers in the cap from getting damaged. After soaking the cap, you should then hand wash it and then rinse it using plenty of cool water. You can also use a towel to pat dry the cap to prevent shrinkage of the fibers in the cap.
If your bat is of a low quality, then there are high chances that the fabric in the caps is not strong enough to withstand extensive rubbing and rinsing. As such, you should be gentle when washing it so as not to damage the cap. Most modern baseball caps are color fast and as such retain colors after washing. Therefore, you can use common household detergents and cleaning agents to clean these caps.
It is advisable that you do not use hot water to clean baseball caps as most fabrics in these caps are affected by hot water and tend to shrink or expand thereby deforming the cap. You should not risk your cap getting ruined by washing it with a washer or putting it in a dryer.
