# baseball cleaning etiqutte **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650 "2002-08-26T17:28:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PurpleNurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@PurpleNurple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleNurple)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/1 "2002-08-26T17:28:32Z")
I wonder if anyone knows the best way to clean a baseball type hat. I have heard of putting your hat into a dishwasher but I have tried that before and ruined the hat, and I don’t think i should try putting on into the clothes washer. So any ideas would be greatly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/2 "2002-08-26T18:17:10Z")
Gentle soap and water and something like a toothbrush. Don’t use hot water. ---
**Author:** ![PurpleNurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@PurpleNurple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleNurple)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/3 "2002-08-26T18:38:16Z")
Wouldn’t that take forever to do? I guess there isn’t any faster way to clean a baseball type hat. It is the sweat stains that I want to wash off. If anyone wants to make big money you should come up a solution that cleans baseball type hats fast and effortlessly. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/4 "2002-08-26T18:40:59Z")
I’ve always put mine in the washer, with no obvious ill effects… YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/5 "2002-08-26T19:00:51Z")
Somewhere on the web I saw a product for washing caps in the dishwasher. It was coated wire, in two parts, shaped like a baseball cap. Put the cap inside, clamp it shut, put in dishwasher. I wanted one, just so I could wear it as a hat. ---
**Author:** ![PurpleNurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@PurpleNurple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleNurple)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/6 "2002-08-26T19:29:32Z")
I guess you don’t remeber the name of this product so I can find it? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/7 "2002-08-26T21:20:29Z")
I haven’t the slightest idea. It may not have even been on the web, it may have been a printed ad somewhere. Sorry. I really wanted one, too… ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/8 "2002-08-26T21:35:25Z")
Wait, wait! Google is your friend! **Ball Cap Buddy** The link isn’t direct, I’m afraid. Click on their ‘search’ feature and type in ‘ball cap buddy’. $4.95. And if you’re an ASU Sun Devils fan…[**Go to eBay**](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=953252144). ---
**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/9 "2002-08-26T21:38:32Z")
We had one of those products **postcards** mentioned. IIRC it was just called “Cap Washer.” My main problem with it is that I wear my caps with a substantial curve in the bill (i.e. the _correct_ way to wear a cap), and that product did not accomodate for it; I had to smoosh my bill a bit, and it was never the same. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![PurpleNurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@PurpleNurple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleNurple)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/10 "2002-08-26T21:44:40Z")
I also wear my cap with a nice curve in it. Well maybe I will have to make a million dollars or so and invent my own hat cleaner of some kind. Thanks for all your advice. If you have more ideas just lkeep them coming. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/11 "2002-08-26T22:06:33Z")
Put the cap in the washer – cold water, gentle cycle. After the wash cycle is over put the cap in the Ball Cap Buddy/Cap Washer/whatever your local cap store calls it to prevent shrinkage. Let dry, then re-bend the bill however you like it. Works for my teenage sons. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/12 "2002-08-27T21:48:09Z")
Spray the NEW hat with spray starch and/or Scotchgard before wearing… (good idea for sneakers, too!) ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/13 "2002-08-28T00:17:40Z")
They don’t make ScotchGuard anymore. Very bad for the enviroment. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/14 "2002-08-28T14:34:10Z")
So I should sell the couple of cans I have of Scotchgard on eBay? I just checked the 3M company website. They list eleven different Scotchgard products: [http://www.3m.com/product/s\_index/s\_index.jhtml](http://www.3m.com/product/s_index/s_index.jhtml) (scroll waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down!) ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-cleaning-etiqutte/125650/15 "2002-08-28T15:40:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by postcards \* > \*\*Somewhere on the web I saw a product for washing caps in the dishwasher. > > It was coated wire, in two parts, shaped like a baseball cap. Put the cap inside, clamp it shut, put in dishwasher. > > I wanted one, just so I could wear it as a hat. \*\* I did that! I bought one when I was 14, and decided it would be clever to wear it around town. It was plastic, and uncomfortable as hell…but all of the other 14 year old guys thought I was a god. Ahhh…good times.