# How do I wash my baseball hats? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2002, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170 "2002-07-16T03:21:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/1 "2002-07-16T03:21:28Z")
I have a couple hats that I need to wash. The problem is that putting the hats into the washing machine will destroy the hats. (Cardboard bills won’t make it through the wash) Anyone have any ideas? One of my hats was given to me by my Grandmother. She wore it while watching the Denver Broncos play. The hat is important to me since my Gram gave it to me. My Gram passed away on 9-11, before the attacks, and she willed me the hat because we watched the Broncos together all the time. The hat needs cleaning yet I don’t want to harm it because, as wacky as this sounds, it means a lot to me. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/2 "2002-07-16T03:48:03Z")
You could try Woolite and a soft brush. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/3 "2002-07-16T04:18:23Z")
My mom puts my dad’s baseball caps in the dishwasher (not the laundry machine) then lets them air dry. It seems to work pretty good. The dishwasher isn’t so violent as the washing machine and then air-dry so that it holds its shape. I think I’ve even seen this plastic hat-shaped basket thing expressly for this purpose. If I can find one online, I’ll post a link. ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/4 "2002-07-16T04:20:23Z")
Someone makes ball cap washers. They’re plastic forms that you fit your cap over, then the top form fits over that, then you just toss them into the washer and then the dryer. I have one but I forget where I got it. If the cap is super-special, and it sounds like yours is, I’d use one of these forms and then do the Woolite-and-air-dry-thing. ---
**Author:** ![Lure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@Lure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lure)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/5 "2002-07-16T07:06:11Z")
I do mine in the sink with dish detergent.Let soak a while,then scrub inside sweatband (if it needs it with a vegetable brush) Use warm to cool water rinse thoroughly.Comes out like new everytime no fading. Woolite’s good but more expensive. I just hang it over a doorknob with a towel (doubled up for more thickness) spread under it,to catch the drops,until dry.Overnight dries it for me. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/6 "2002-07-16T07:57:22Z")
If the bill is really cardboard reinforced water may destroy the integrity of the shape. You need to use a solvent cleaner in those cases but they can be dangerous. [Apparently washing clothing in the dishwasher can be dangerous to your health if you’ve been using insecticides.](http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/atid/Timely%20Topics/caps.htm) > [@](#): > > Cleaning Baseball Caps > Right after the dog, a man’s best friend is his baseball cap. While it may be virtually impossible to pry a cap off the wearer’s head, they still need to be washed. There are three ways to clean a cap: > > The preferred method is to wash by hand. Use a mild dishwashing detergent and rinse thoroughly. > > Machine wash on a gentle cycle. This method may cause the brim of the cap to bend, distort, or even tear. Plastic adjusters may melt at higher drying temperatures. > > Place the cap in a plastic cap form and wash in the dishwasher. This method helps to keep the cap’s original form and shape. Use a detergent that does not contain bleach. Before attempting to clean, test for colorfastness by blotting a small amount of detergent and water on a small inconspicuous area with a white cloth. If any traces of the dye appear on the cloth, it might not be safe to clean. ---
**Author:** ![Ill\_Logik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Ill\_Logik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ill_Logik)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/7 "2002-07-16T15:00:38Z")
I’ve washed a lot of my hats before, and the best method I’ve found is to wash them by hand in the sink with warm water, a soft brush, and woolite. To dry them, buy one of those small size basketballs, fit the hat over it, and let it air dry outside (not directly in the sun, of course). This should get the hat clean and help it keep its correct size and shape. I have used those hat holders for the dishwasher, but the hats always seem to be misshapen after the wash. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/8 "2002-07-16T15:06:16Z")
Humm… I’ve always washed mine in the ol’ washing machine. I throw 'em in there with the rest of the laundry, and they come out fine. Now you guys have me worried! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/9 "2002-07-16T15:07:06Z")
Well, I don’t want to endorse one vendor over another, but the product described by **Another Primate** is called a “Cap Shaper”. A search for that phrase will return numerous vendors. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/10 "2002-07-16T21:09:01Z")
Thanks for the tips. Slee…going to buy some Woolite… ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-wash-my-baseball-hats/119170/11 "2002-07-20T15:13:39Z")
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Steve Kline would say, “Don’t do it! Washing 'em is bad luck!” –Nott