Purchasing hats can be a real investment and to prolong the life of your hats, proper hat care is essential. We often hear of people putting hats in their washing machine and dishwasher, and while we can’t stop you from doing that, we definitely don’t recommend it. The number one reason we do not recommend it is because the power these machines generate can really be quite aggressive. Consider your hat to be a delicate item. Just because you can wear it and sweat in it and toss it in your backseat (which we encourage), doesn’t mean it will hold up in the washing machine.
We love to see a well-worn hat, broken in, softened, a little faded, a little frayed from use. But cumulative dirt and grime on your hat are just as likely to shorten your hat’s lifespan as they will deter friends from getting too close to you when that dirty hat is on your head.
For hand stitched patch hats we recommend:
- Rinsing with warm water regularly after particularly sweaty wears. Air dry.
- Spot cleaning with a gentle detergent and soft bristled brush, like a toothbrush for stains. Air dry.
- Periodic washing by submerging in a tub, bucket or sink filled with warm water and detergent. Let it soak for a few minutes, swirl it around. Rinse well and air dry.
*Keep in mind that genuine leather patches will absorb water, oil, and detergent differently. Over time, they will patina and take on a more weathered look. Avoid getting detergent on or scrubbing your leather patches. Color debossing may be susceptible to peeling off if there is too much abrasion, wetness or heat.
*Never ever put your hand stitched patch hats in the dryer.
*PVC patches can be gently washed with soap and a soft bristled brush, but avoid letting them sit in the heat or sun, and avoid harsh chemical cleansers.
For heat pressed patches we recommend:
- Rinsing with warm water regularly after particularly sweaty wears. Air dry.
- Spot cleaning with a gentle detergent and soft bristled brush, like a toothbrush, for stains. Air dry.
- We do not recommend letting heat pressed hats soak. Soap, water, alcohol, and harsh chemical cleansers can weaken the glue bond between the patch and hat.
*Heat pressed patch hats are especially susceptible to the elements. Avoid keeping your heat pressed hat in a hot car or submerging it in water for more than a few minutes.
*Never ever put your heat pressed hats in the dryer.
For hats that emerge from your closet or vehicle misshapen or crumpled:
- We recommend steaming the hat and trying to work the crease out. Watch your fingers!
*You can use a handheld steamer, a hat steamer, or a tea kettle on the stove to generate the steam.
*Be careful with heat pressed patches as the heat and moisture can loosen the glue bond.
Normal wear and tear that should be expected:
Sweat stains – everyone’s sweat is different, so while your buddy might not have hats that show sweat stains, yours might leave a faint white residue. It’s normal, but you can mitigate the permanence of these stains and the subsequent bleaching by rinsing regularly.
Bleaching/fading – sweat and sunlight are both going to lead to faded colors. This is normal, nothing out of of the ordinary here. If you want to lessen this, regular rinsing and keeping your hats away from sunlight will go a long ways in retaining your hat’s color.
Fraying – fraying around the edges of your hat’s brim and cloth parts is to be expected if you wear your hat religiously. Fraying on your patch could also occur, but only after significant wear and abuse. Rotate hats and be gentle on them if you want to preserve that brand new hat look for as long as possible.
Softening – sweat, heat, and oil will soften the fibers in your hats and you might find that the mesh or the front of the hat will soften and the shape will relax. This is the best, we don’t recommend you do anything to prevent that. Soon your hat will feel like your favorite baggy sweats or old t-shirt and become the best friend you’ve always wanted. No? Maybe that’s just us.
What’s not normal and what to do about it:
Patches peeling off – whether your patch is heat pressed or hand stitched, it should not lift off the hats for a good long while. Hand stitched patches should stay on as long your hat stays together. Heat pressed patches may eventually peel up due to exposure and use, but it certainly shouldn’t occur within the first few months of having your hats.
Buckles and snaps breaking – unless you’ve really beat up your hat, the snaps and buckles should last almost as long as the body of the hat. They will likely be the first thing that breaks after years of wear, but if a snap or buckle breaks within the first few months with normal wear, it ain’t right.
Creases and crumples on new hats – your brand new hats will have a crease where they’re folded, but aside from that, there shouldn’t be any creases or folds on the crown of the hat. This usually happens when the box gets damaged. Not cool.
Frayed patches on new hats – we don’t produce distressed fabric patches, so if yours start fraying within a month, it’s a sign something went wrong in production.
Oil stains from PVC patches – if a stain appears around your PVC patch that won’t dry or go away, and you haven’t done anything yet to your hat, it’s likely the PVC patch has been compromised. This is super rare, but we’ve seen it happen.
If any of these things occur, just shoot us an email and we’ll take a look at the problem.
Most importantly, we want you to enjoy wearing your hats and seeing how they age over the years. Show us your well-loved hats on instagram!
