The baseball cap is a staple of households the world over. From outdoor wear to indoor comfort, the baseball cap is worn by people for all kinds of activities. These commonly worn and favored caps can get dirty quickly, though, and their signature design and bill makes them hard to clean without permanently damaging the cap. Not many people think to clean their baseball caps either. These accessories can go months or years without a good wash, which can quickly fade or discolor them in addition to damaging their overall longevity.
If you don’t want to have to dry clean your baseball cap every time it needs a wash but are tired of shrinking or damaging your baseball cap in the dryer, don’t worry- the solution is here! The best way to wash a baseball cap involves using carefully formulated cleaning solutions and air drying techniques that help your cap maintain its shape and use over a long period of time. Our team has researched and provided you with the best ways to clean and maintain your baseball cap over time so you can enjoy it for years to come.
What Causes Baseball Caps to Get So Dirty?
Baseball caps are popular hats and caps for outdoor use because of their sun-blocking properties and heat-resistant uses. Baseball caps sit close to the neck and temples, often gathering sweat and other debris. The head is one of the major areas of heat loss in the body, so you will likely sweat more on your head to begin with, and that sweat will gather and discolor or stain your baseball cap over time. Your baseball cap can also bleach from the sun or collect rain, snow, or other precipitation in the outdoors, making it a magnet for all kinds of dirt and decay and meaning it can be quite hard to keep them clean.
Hand-Washing Baseball Caps
Materials Needed:
- OxyClean Liquid Detergent
- Stain Removing Spray
- Scrub BrushRemoving serious sweat and stains from your baseball hat by hand is a simple process, but one that will require a little elbow grease over time. Most stains and smells will be heavily set into your baseball hat, so you’re going to want to soak it into a deodorizing detergent first before you wash it.
Fill a bucket with warm water and a powerful laundry detergent such as OxyClean Liquid Detergent and let your hat soak for up to an hour. Next, you’ll want to treat any remaining stains with a stain removing concentrate or spray. Allow to soak for a few more minutes. Now, it’s time to wash by hand. Fill a bucket, bowl, or sink with lukewarm water and a capful of laundry detergent. Put the hat in and use a scrub brush to rub detergent or stains further into the cap. Allow to soak for a few more minutes and then rinse with cool water. Lastly, shape the cap as if it were sitting on your head and leave it out to air dry.
Machine Washing Baseball Caps
Materials Needed:
Gentle, Bleach-Free Detergent
Machine washing is a bit dangerous for baseball caps because of the high speed frequency and rotations of the machine drum. Many laundry detergents also contain bleach, something that can automatically strip or further damage your baseball cap. You want a gentle, bleach free detergent that’s going to clean and deodorize without stripping it further. There are two different ways you can wash a baseball cap: either in a washing machine or in a dishwasher. If you’re putting it in the dishwasher, be absolutely positive that the detergent you’re using is bleach free and then set it in the top rack. Run through one cycle and allow to air dry while holding its shape. For a washing machine, run it on the most delicate cycle in cold water. Do not tumble dry; that will damage and shrink the baseball cap far beyond what’s safe for your cap to handle. Let your cap dry naturally.
Spot Treating Baseball Caps
Materials Needed:
- Club Soda
- Ice Cubes
- Dish Soap
- Sponge
- CornmealSick of washing your hats every time something’s stained it? You can spot treat specific areas relatively easily on your hat using a house staple: club soda. For baseball caps with sweat or dirt stains, begin by rinsing the stained area with club soda, something that will soften the bonds of any dirt and help the stain dissolve more quickly. You can rinse the soda out with water and a sponge soaked with laundry detergent, pressing directly onto the affected area and blotting carefully. Blot dry with a towel and allow to air dry, then repeat as needed until the stain and any other smells or dirt have been eliminated.
Naturally Cleaning Baseball Caps
Materials Needed:
- Lemon Juice
- Vinegar
- Laundry Detergent
- You don’t have to stick to just chemical detergents in order to clean out your baseball cap. Popular household natural cleaning recipes have been around for many years, and each has a thing or two to teach us about the best ways to thoroughly scrub out stains and smells.
Begin by soaking the hat in a mix of lemon juice, vinegar, and water to help weaken the strength of any stains. Next, rinse with water to make sure the acidity of the lemon juice doesn’t damage your hat. You also want to remove any remaining lemon juice to make sure that the sun doesn’t bleach areas that have lemon juice remaining on it. Flush out the remaining stains or dirt with a tablespoon of grease dissolving laundry detergent and three parts warm water to help diminish any existing stains. Shape the cap and allow to dry as normal.
Cleaning baseball caps is hard but not impossible. The biggest trip is to avoid exposure to high heats or bleaching detergents; this will maintain the cleanliness and shape of your original hat. With time, patience, and our expert guide on the best way to wash a baseball cap you can get the most out of your cap and have it looking brand new for many years to come!
