Cleaning a wool felt hat

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Hammock_man

Full Member
May 15, 2008
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kent
I have a felt hat that I live and die in. It is getting in a bit of a state an am thinking it could do with a wash. Don't think sticking it in a washing machine even on a wool setting is the way to go as I think it will turn a nice wide brimmed hat into a beanie for action man!!! Any pointers folk!
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
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I miss the days when professional dry cleaners did hats!

For my felt hats I use a hat brush (always brush counterclockwise) If any area needs more than that I spot clean it by hand with a mild detergent, warm water, and a rag.

Here's a short video on hat care https://youtu.be/lWmSqXwOfTE
 
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Toddy

Mod
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Jan 21, 2005
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S. Lanarkshire
Hit post before I'd finished :eek:

Two ways you can deal with it yourself (the third is to take it to the dry cleaners).
If you can soak it; then soak it overnight in loads of cool water with a tiny squirt of fairy liquid in it, or shampoo. That ought to loosen any grime that's trapped in the fibres. Next day, gently rub at it inside and out with a sponge (not the green scourer-y bit just the sponge side). Then soak it again in clean water, and again in another clean water soak.
You might need to support it to let it drain and dry down….blow up a balloon, or make a head shape out of newspaper and change it frequently as it soaks up the water.
Felt hats can (and were) ironed to smooth surface fibres and re-shape things, but it's a skill and, well, that's up to your own good sense, iimmc :)

The other way, much simpler, but not a deep clean, is to use a basin of lukewarm water with some ordinary soap or shampoo in it and an old towelling flannel, and literally just keep wipeing and drying until you've cleaned the whole hat. A soft clothes brush will help at the end to restore the finish.
Not so likely to remove sweat stains, salt marks or grease as the first method, but much easier to repeat as necessary :)

If you really want to waterproof the wool, then a lanolin (or one of the modern nikwax wash in mixes) soak/rinse as part of the whole soak it to clean it process, will do wonders.

Best of luck with it :)

atb,
M
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
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Hit post before I'd finished :eek:

Two ways you can deal with it yourself (the third is to take it to the dry cleaners).......

Can you still find dry cleaners to do it there? My comment was wishful thinking on my part. The only ones here that I know of who still do it are the ones on military training bases (where the DIs wear the campaign hats) Apart from that the bigger western wear shops will re-shape them but very few will actually clean them (although thetre are some very expensive restorers that will completely rebuild them) Out of my price range but fun to watch what a pro can do!https://youtu.be/rJENEGUV9xA
 
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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
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S. Lanarkshire
Not many cowboy hats worn here tbh, but there are a load of reenactors who wear wool ones with the plain crown, and their hats get utterly minging. Everything from cooking over fires to black powder :sigh:
I know it's supposed to add versimilitude but really, who wants to wear a manky thing on their heads ?
Worn in is one thing, ready to crawl off and start something sprouting like primordial soup is another entirely :D

M
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Not many cowboy hats worn here tbh.....

Not too many felt hats of any kind worn here either. It's only the presence of cowboy hats (and the high price of the good ones) that preserve any semblance of hat servicing. Up until about the 1950s most men wore hats of some kind whether they be cowboy hats, fedoras, trilbies, flat caps, etc. Not so much anymore. Now even the cowboys will be seen in a baseball cap when driving around town.

All that said, at the end of the day a felt hat is a felt hat and cleaning, reshaping it, or restoring it works the same way no matter what style.
 
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Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
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SE Wales
A good way to re-shape a decent felt hat is to find a mixing bowl, the rim of which is larger than the fitting of the hat, turn it upside down; steam the hat as best you can, (kettle, bath of hot water, wallpaper remover)
then pull it lightly down onto the upended bowl to where the headband size is right. Re-shape as best you can and leave to dry, then brush as Toddy advises above.
 

Hammock_man

Full Member
May 15, 2008
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529
kent
Worn in is one thing, ready to crawl off and start something sprouting like primordial soup is another entirely
Yeah its getting like that.

How does it do in the rain
60% of the surface burly get damp, oil and water don't mix:yuck:

I also thinks its well past the damp flannel stage. Softly softly seems the way but its going to take a fair few goes I think.
 

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