How to Clean a Felt Hat

Cleaning your felt hat can be a delicate task. Whether you need to give it a light cleaning to refresh and revamp your Two Roads Hat Co hat or you literally wear your hat every day and you would put it through the washing machine if you could, we've got the tips, tricks, and hacks for keeping your Two Roads Hat Co hat looking brand new and squeaky clean. We are sharing a few hat cleaning options and a few stain removing remedies. Keep on reading folks. 

 

1. Hat brush

Use a hat brush to help remove dust and dirt from the surface of your hat. For best practice, gently brush the hat counterclockwise, starting at the front and working your way around. You can shop the hat brush here: https://tworoadshatco.com/collections/hat-care/products/hat-brush

Pro tip: Always brush in the same direction consistently. 

 

 

2. Lint roller 

A good rule of thumb is to always keep a lint roller on hand to remove lint, hair, and dust. For all those out there that have a wardrobe primarily consisting of black, you know what I'm talking about. Lint rollers save lives. Put that on a t-shirt. If you aren't that well prepared, you can use a piece of tape to remove that stubborn dust and debris your hat might collect over time. For the tape option, just wrap the tape around your hand, sticky side out and gently sweep and dab across the surface of your hat. You can shop our hat care kit with our lint roller here: https://tworoadshatco.com/collections/hat-care/products/hat-care-kit

Pro tip: Replace the tape frequently to ensure you remove as much as possible.

 

3. Hat Sponge

Ever wondered how cowboys keep their hats clean? Hat sponges. They're the best way to remove dirt or smudges from your brim. Use small circular motions on the effected area with the dry sponge to brush dried dirt, dust, and any other debris off of your hat. Use one sponge for dark and one for light felt hats. Dried dirt will flake off easily as you wipe it. You can shop our hat sponge here: https://tworoadshatco.com/collections/hat-care/products/hat-cleaning-sponge

Pro tip: Don't ever rub your stains. That just allows the stain to set in deeper and makes it harder for removal.

 

 

6. Corn Starch 

If you notice a grease stain on your hat, sprinkle a little cornstarch over the stained area. We recommend a half tbsp to start. Rub it gently onto the stain. After 5-10 minutes, brush it away. 

 

7. Fabric Stain Remover 

Everyone has some sort of fabric stain remover lying around their laundry room. This is best for stubborn dust or dirt. Wet a cloth so it's moist, but not too saturated and add some fabric stain remover. Our favorite gentle stain remover is Woolite. After stain treatment, rinse the cloth and wipe the stains again to remove stain remover from hats. 

To refresh and deep clean that prized Two Roads Hat Co hat. Sprinkle some absorbent powder similar to the color of your hat to avoid any discoloring. Let the hat sit for several hours to allow the powder to soak up dirt and oils. Place it upside down on its crown to avoid misshaping the brim. Shake off the powder and remove the rest with the hose of your vacuum cleaner. 

Pro tip: Use wheat germ for dark colored hats, baking soda for white hats and cornmeal for beige and tan hats.

 

Cleaning the sweatband?

One of the best ways is using a dry powder that you rub onto the surface of the leather sweatband that will help lift off grime and oil. This can also be used to clean spots on the hat itself as mentioned above. The great thing about this stuff is that because it’s dry, it only affects the area you’re rubbing and will just fall off any other places it touches. You can also use a commercial leather cleaner to remove stains and odor by placing a small amount of cleaner on a paper towel or cloth and rubbing it in, being careful not to get any onto the hat itself and following package directions, making sure you allow the band to air dry. When the band is dry, you can then use a leather conditioner or lotion to keep it supple.