How to wash / clean a cap?

All about cap cleaning and care

Looking for information on how to clean and/or care for your cap?
You've come to the right place!
As specialists in Snapbacks, Truckers, 9forty or other, whether it's New Era, '47 or Mitchell and Ness, grocers have already had problems with cleaning their caps. And they want to share some tips so you don't make the same mistakes they did!

Summary:

• Why clean your cap?
• Precautions to take!
• How to clean your cap by hand ?
• How to clean it in the machine ?
• How to wash a cap without removing the label ?
• How to dry your cap ?
• Note from the grocer Jean-Charles

Why clean your cap?

If you are like the grocer Manuel, you never go anywhere without a cap on your head. Jean-Charles, the grocer, collects them by the dozen!
And inevitably, when you wear them, they are not safe from getting dirty.
First of all, because like everyone else, you sweat in them(and sweat stains are not great), the sun rays do their work, but also because accidents can happen! And often, we think that there is no way to recover the splendor of our cape!
However, there are ways to restore it, as long as you pay attention to 2/3 small things

The precautions to take!

The first is to know what type of cap you want to wash.
If it's a recent model, then chances are that the visor is made of plastic, and therefore washing is easy and relatively risk-free.
On the other hand, on older models, the visor may be made of cardboard. Washing could damage it irreparably.
You must also pay attention to the materials used to make your favorite headgear. Some are made of polyester (synthetic), others of wool or cotton... this will influence the way and the products used for cleaning.
Last but not least: no machine washing! The grocers formally forbid it!
You will also have to pay attention to some key elements, such as the adjustment system or the embroidery on the front and side of the cap.

How to wash your cap by hand ?

New cap

First tip: use cold water. You can use any soap, cleaner or detergent to clean. Jean-Charles' grandmother always advised him to use baking soda, and it's true that this remedy works very well on sweat stains!
Of course you should avoid ammonia or bleach type detergents.
Brush your hat with cold water, then, with a toothbrush previously soaked in detergent, scrub the dirtiest parts.
Be careful not to apply too much pressure with the toothbrush so as not to have a "varnished" or patina effect when drying. This has already happened to the grocer Jean-Charles who rubbed as much as he could.
You can alternate the phase where you rub and the phase where you let it soak. Once you feel your work is done, rinse your cap gently with cold water and let it dry.

Vintage cap

How do you define a vintage cap? The grocers have no idea, but let's say more than 15 / 20 years old. It's nice if you still have it in your closet, and even nicer if you still want to wear it!
Anyway, chances are that the visor is made of cardboard, so you should avoid getting it in contact with liquid.
And also be careful with the colors of the cap, it may not be treated for washing, and therefore the colors move slightly in contact with soapy water.
It will be necessary to limit yourself strictly to the stains, and watch for the slightest anomaly.

Woolen cap

These caps, although generally more qualitative, are a little more delicate than those made of polyester.
Use a detergent adapted to wool, and forget the soap or the classic detergent. You also need to be very gentle when scrubbing, even more so than the versions mentioned above. Wool tends not to like to be abused.
You also have to take care of the drying process, and find a "mold" for it to return to its original shape. It may "move" a little

How to wash it in the machine?

You were wondering how to wash a cap in the dishwasher?
There is one simple rule: no machine washing!
Whether it's the washing machine or the dishwasher, forget it!
There may be detergent residues that will damage the textile, not to mention hot water, which is more than contraindicated in our case.
Even if the visor is made of plastic, the heat (or the drum) may deform it. So forget about machines, they don't have the required delicacy! Of course, this advice also applies to the dryer! It is necessarily hand washing. The grocer Jean-Charles has already tried washing in a machine, but his Yankees baseball cap came out deformed, the crown (which gives its shape to the front of the cap) got bent. And to get it back into shape, there's a lot of work to do...

How to wash a cap without removing the label ?

There are 2 solutions to wash it and keep its label:

• protect the whole visor. Indeed, considering the fabric used on the visor as soon as it will be wet, all the fabric which covers it will be wet, and the label will come off
• remove the label before. It's a pain in the ass for sure, but it's the only way to preserve it. To put it back on the visor you will need a textile glue, preferably in spray.

There is unfortunately no miracle solution to save the label. But know that there is a new school when it comes to stickers. Many people now remove it to keep a uniform visor. Indeed with the sun the visor tends to fade, and if you keep the sticker on it, then it will not change color uniformly.

How to dry your cap ?

The open air, there is only that of true. Again, no clothes dryer or hair dryer. The heat could ruin your favorite hat!
So let the snapback dry as long as you need it to.
If it's a flat visor, you can place the visor under a heavy book to make sure it doesn't warp. If it's a woolen cap, then be careful that it doesn't warp too much as it dries

Note from the grocer Jean-Charles

Whether it's a New Era cap, a '47 or any other, from the moment you own it you want it to stay in the best shape possible.
And that's normal! If for some people it's just a comfort item, to protect themselves from the sun, for the grocers it's much more than that.
They have been wearing caps since the day they discovered that they existed in the colors of their favorite American franchises.
Manuel collects NFL caps, Heloise collects NHL caps, and Jean-Charles collects NBA snapbacks and baseball caps. To each his own!
Each one represents a period of time and brings back memories, so it is important for them to refurbish them from time to time!
But it's not done any old way, and they hope this little " How To " will help you!