How to Wash a Baseball Cap - By Hand is the Best

If you or someone you know loves to wear their baseball caps, you can imagine just how grimy they can get.  I personally have found sweat stains to be the worst not to mention the smell!

After much research I have found the best way to wash a baseball hat or cap is by hand, but don't fret, this is not days of scrubbing, it is quite quick and if you have the right ingredients around, you will be amazed by just how clean you can get them.

The washing machine and dryer can be a bit harsh on a hat, so try this method first before resorting to the machines.

✅What you will Need:

Bucket (you can use the sink but i found a bucket works best)

oxi-clean

shampoo
old toothbrush (to gently scrub stains)
towels

✅Method:

Step 1 - Fill the bucket with warm water (not too hot or you may shrink the cap) and add the oxy-clean.

Step 2 - Submerge the cap in the prepared bucket and let soak for about 10 minutes.

Step 3 - Take a toothbrush and some shampoo and gently scrub sweat stains in the cap being careful not to scrub too hard as you don't want to disturb the stitching.  Shampoo works super well on sweat stains and the oxyclean brightens.

Step 4 - Place back in the bucket of water to soak for about 20 minutes.

Step 5 - Empty bucket and fill with clean cool water and rinse the cap of any soaps especially the shampoo.

Step 6 - Do NOT Wring the cap, but gently let it drip from your hands and then place in a thick towel to soak up excess water.

Step 7 - Find something to sit the hat on to keep its shape with a towel underneath and let air dry.

Note:  You can try and speed things up with a hairdryer, but it is best if you can let it dry on its own.

Shape the hat, the easiest is to put it on your head once dry.

Cap Washer for Top Rack in Dishwasher

Baseball Cap Washer

If you have a few caps to wash and are not a fan of the bucket method above, you can invest in a cap washer that you place the cap in and then place on the top rack of the dishwasher.

This will keep their shape and clean them thoroughly as well.

At the time of this post, there were over 1800 reviews for this product.

This can also be used to store a special baseball cap so that it doesn't get dirty or misshaped.

✅How to Clean an Old Style Cap with Cardboard Brim

If you have this style of hat, you have to be more careful as the brim simply cannot get wet as the cardboard will break down.  But don't despair!  If you love this cap there is a way to bring it back to life and clean it.

What you will Need:

Clean white cloths for cleaning

Dark towels to dry your hat on (just in case any dye leaks off hat)

Old Toothbrush

Gentle detergent such as Woolite

Method:

Step 1 - Make a mixture of woolite and some water and take a toothbrush and gently rub this detergent mixture into the hat especially the sweat stain areas.

Step 2 - Do not over wet anything around the cardboard brim.  Dip the toothbrush into the cleaning mixture and dry slightly and then gently but quickly rub along the brim trying not to over wet this area.

Step 3 - Rinse

Step 4 - Take the toothbrush and with clean water go over the hat again to get rid of soap residue and gently do the same over the brim.

Step 5 - Take a clean cloth and soak up any leftover dampness

Step 6 - Leave to dry.

✅Once Clean .... Use Some Hat Saver Spray

Hat Saver Spray - Works on Baseball Caps

This spray is safe to use on hats and caps, and will prevent sweat stains and repel dirt and oils which will keep your baseball caps and hats looking their best between washings.

It is best not to wash your ball caps too often, so if you wear yours all the time, consider investing in some hat saver to stop the sweat stains that lead to a smelly hat.

Also check out my post on how to make a baseball cap holder