There is no question that straw hats are a very common fashion accessory, especially during the summer. They are very lightweight and fashionable which leads to many people, both men and women opting to add this to their casual outfits. It doesn’t matter if they are rocking a sundress, a regular T-Shirt, or a polo shirt. In fact, even these hats look especially fantastic when worn with some great personalized outerwear such as custom jackets cheap, for instance.
However, there remains one problem when it comes to using straw hats and it is the fact that they are made from straw. This means that in most cases, these hats are normally very fragile.
As a result, many straw hat wearers are often puzzled as to what is proper way to take care of their hats and extend their lifespans? Because since it’s made of straw, it can normally be tricky to clean and maintain, after all. So, we decided to quickly dive into the different tips and tricks that you can use to keep your hat in tip-top shape and avoid any future breakage or damage.
Basics
However, before we get started, there are a few things that you need to look out for. For one, you first need to check if the hat can actually be cleaned. Some hats may come with a label that says to avoid contact with water. This is commonly prevalent among some types of straw hats. And also custom printed hats, like custom baby hats, for example. This is because these hats are often being dyed in bright colors. But can start to bleed when they come into contact with water. As such, you must confirm whether or not this is the case on the label.
After all, the hat manufacturer is always obligated to tell you what you can and cannot do with the hat in question. Once you’ve confirmed that it can be cleaned, then you need to watch out for any extra materials that may be attached to the straw hat in question. There are some manufacturers that may add accessories such as bands, ribbons, feathers, etc. So, you must first take these off carefully to clean them out separately.
Once this is done, you need to then brush off the headpiece. However, ensure that the tools that you use to clean the hat are used gently. This is because some cleaning tools could end up being too rough on the material, so starting off with some light brushing is recommended. In fact, in most cases, some gentle brushing is usually enough to clean the hat thoroughly. So anything else done after is for those has that end up being too dirty. And may require tougher measures.
And one of these methods is vacuum cleaning. If carrying out some gentle cleaning doesn’t work, then the next thing is use a vacuum. However, if you feel that this is too strong a method to use on your hat, then you can utilize a peroxide solution. You simply need to purchase some hydrogen peroxide and mix it with warm water to create the solution. You can then simply spray it on a cloth and use it to wipe down any dirt that may be stuck on the surface of the hat thoroughly. You can also opt for soap instead, although it may not be as effective and may require a bit more effort.
The last thing that you can do is simple rinse the hat with water. However, it is often recommended that you don’t mix straw with water, but if the label says it is fine then you can do so. Just make sure that you don’t soak it into the water for too long, even if the hat says it’s fine. Most hats eg. baseball caps, fedoras, flat caps, and others, do not do well when they come into contact with water for too long. So it’s better safe than sorry. You only need to rinse the hat off a little a bit and using the fine brush we spoke about before; you should be able to finish off the cleaning process quite easily.
Removing Stains
This tends to become a separate issue of its own when cleaning hats and almost another type of clothing. This is because when it comes to clearing out stains, simply rinsing it will not suffice. You will need to take extra tough measures to deal with the problem. This is because different stains require different methods to remove them, some of tougher to remove while others are a bit easier. For instance, you can easily remove oil stains by using talcum powder.
Moreover, since straw hats are often worn during the hotter season this usually means that you will sweat a lot. This can often result in some sweat stains appearing on your headpiece. When that happens, it is important that you react accordingly and this means quickly wiping the areas with a damp cloth.
If there are any scuffs on the hat, then you can try using some unique methods to fix the problem. There are usual special products that help you get rid of them, but they aren’t usually cheap so you will have to do some research to find affordable options. You can also simply use a regular pencil rubber to remove the scuffs and while it may sound ridiculous, it surprisingly works!
Conclusion
At the end of the day, maintenance is the most important thing when it comes to owning any type of hat. It doesn’t matter if it’s a baseball hat, a custom military hat or a straw hat, you should always make sure that you keep it in a safe place. The will help you avoid dust and other stains from getting on it. You should also make sure that the hat is not placed somewhere where there is too much sunlight, as it could get hot. As a result, the excess heat could damage it and make the hat brittle or wear out the color in time.
