Hat Care

General Hat Care

Always handle your hat by the brim. Avoid handling the crown as much as possible. Many people's natural instinct is to grab the hat by the front pinch of the crown however grabbing a felt hat by the pinch can cause the felt to wear down over time until there's a hole in it.
Never rest your hat on its brim while the brim is turned down. Turn it upside down and rest it on the crown. Resting a hat on a down-turned brim will flatten-out the brim. If the brim is snapped up you can rest the hat carefully on the brim.

If your felt hat gets wet, first return the hat to its original shape, then turn down the interior sweatband and rest the hat on the sweatband to dry.
Do not rest the hat on it's brim while wet if the brim is turned down. If the brim has been snapped back up you may carefully rest the hat on the brim to dry.
Do not expose a wet hat to heat as this will cause the interior sweatband to shrink as well as causing irregular patterns in the felt once dry.

Steam from a household kettle and a soft bristle brush will help remove dust and dirt. Brush the hat using short strokes, following the natural direction of the fibre.
Wet hats should be dried using a clean, absorbent cloth or sponge. Do not place a felt hat on a radiator, as the heat will shrink the fibres and cause the hat to decrease in size.
Use undyed clothes and sponges when cleaning wool, felt and fur hats. Dyed clothes might transfer color to these materials, especially when the rag is wet or brand new.
Should your hat shrink in size, a hat jack can be used to stretch it back to its original shape.
wool, felt and fur hats are best stored in a hat box, away from direct sunlight.

Use a soft bristle brush to wipe off dirt and debris. An emery cloth can raise the nap or fluffy surfaces of the suede. Milder stains are easily removed with a suede bar or "eraser." Rub the bar in a circular pattern over the stain before brushing it.
Cornstarch or talcum powder can help remove oil stains. Leave the powder on the stain for a few hours or overnight before brushing it off. Mix a small amount of baby oil or shampoo in 15 parts warm water to get rid of odors and oil stains.
You can wipe off excess water and allow your suede hat to dry away from the sun.