How To Clean Sweat Stains From a Hat

Sweat from your head may produce stains on the hat’s front inner rim. This can soak into other parts of the hat and leave stains. If other people see these stains, they may be stinking, filthy, and embarrassing, so you must know how to clean sweat stains from a hat. You can get rid of sweat marks using the following few simple methods.

Hand washing

Hand washing is the best and safest way to remove sweat stains from your caps, so we’ll start there. Cotton headwears, such as golf hats and baseball hats benefit from hand washing in particular. This method should not be used on leather, felt, silk, wool, or satin hats or caps. For the best results, ensure that your hat is colorfast.

1. Fill the bucket with warm water

Warm water should be placed in a sink or bucket. To the water, add one tablespoon of either liquid or powdered laundry detergent. Use a non-bleach detergent to avoid fading. Stir until the detergent has been entirely absorbed by the water.

2. Treat stains

Before putting your hat in the mixture, use a spray stain remover to address the sweat stains. If you have especially tenacious stains, try cleaning them with a gentle toothbrush.

3. Soak for 4 hours

Swish the hat around in a bucket of water many times. Let the hat rest for up to four hours, stirring every now and then.

4. Rinse with cold water

After many hours, take the hat from the bucket and wash it with cool water. Rinse until the soapy water has been removed and the water becomes clear. Then, squeeze the hat gently to eliminate any excess moisture. Be careful not to break its shape by squeezing it too hard.

5. Let it dry 

Hang it to dry. Depending on the humidity level, drying time can range from 24 hours until several days. Always dry the hat in indirect sunlight and avoid using a dryer if you don’t want it to shrink significantly.

Using dishwasher

Washing the sweat stains from the hat in the dishwasher may be beneficial in some situations. In addition, the dishwasher technique should work if the hat is built from jersey cloth, cotton, or a polyester blend. If the brim is made of cardboard, do not put it in the dishwasher. Instead, clean it by hand.

1. Put on top rack

It is crucial to place the cover on the top rack so that it does not come into contact with the heat source at the base of the machine. Otherwise, your prized hat may be shrunk or warped beyond recognition. Make use of a “cap cage” or “baseball cap rack” to keep your hat in shape. These are available at a variety of hat shops as well as on the internet.

2. Use a bleach-free detergent

The coloring of your hat may be harmed by chlorine bleaches found in dishwashing detergent. If the sweat stains were not too severe, try washing with no detergent instead.

3. Use the gentlest cycle

Coldwater will assist in preventing shrinking. Before washing, turn off the hot dry option. Use the gentlest cycle your machine has to give. Wash your hat separately. You wouldn’t want sweaty hat remnants on your dishes or the remnants of last night’s lasagna on your head.

4. Dry the hat

After the washing cycle is complete, remove the hat. Reshape your cap with your hands if necessary. Allow it to dry naturally on a towel. Using a fan will assist you in hastening the drying process. Wait until your clean cap has completely dried before putting it on.

Spot Treatment

This procedure is ideal for leather hats that do not need to be totally soaked. If you don’t like the look of greasy stains on your hats, don’t try this procedure. This is another way to clean sweat stains from a hat.

1. Pretreat if needed

Consider using a light stain remover if the sweat marks are extremely difficult to remove. Minimize exposure of your hat to chlorine or another bleaching agent at all times.

2.Make a ceaning solution

In a bucket or container, put a little amount of bleach-free mild detergent or shampoo with lukewarm water. Stir thoroughly to combine.

3. Rub the stain gently

Dab a corner of clean cloth in the mixture you just made. Using soft strokes, apply it to the affected area until it is gone. It is a good idea to wash individual sweat spots with unused sections of the cloth. White vinegar can also be used to erase perspiration stains. One tablespoon of vinegar for each sweat stain. Gently massage away until the mark is gone.

4. Rinse with cold water

After removing the stains, wipe off the soapy cleaning solution with cold water and a clean cloth. If your hat is made of cotton or another moisture-resistant material, you can rinse it with a cool stream of water. Sweat stains on your leather helmet can be removed with a moist sponge.

5. Let it dry

Allow your hat to air dry without using any heat source. Let your hat dry naturally. Also, avoid drying in direct sunlight.

Using washing machine

A washing machine can be used to clean sweat stains from hats in an emergency, but it is not recommended as a first option. Only colorfast ball hats and golf headgear made of cotton, twill, or a washable cotton blend should be cleaned in this manner. If the hat’s top or bill is made of cardboard, do not utilize the machine method.

1. Pre-treatment

Firstly, apply a stain cleaning solution to the hat if it is extremely stained. If you’re planning to clean sweat stains from hats alongside other garments, you should place them in a garment bag.

2. Wash with cold water

Half-fill the container with cold water. Laundry detergent, as suggested by the manufacturer, should be added. There should be no bleach used, and the washing detergent should not include bleach however color-safe bleaches may be acceptable.

3. Let it dry

Take the hat as quickly as possible and air dry it. When the wash cycle has over, remove the hat and reshape it with your hands. Allow it to dry entirely on its own. Do not use a dryer or any other heated drying technique on the hat.

Dry Cleaning

Sweat-stained caps may be damaged by water-based cleansers. Thus, water, among other things, does not like top hats, felt hats, and fedoras.

In addition, fedoras and top hats should not be dry cleaned. Wash felt headgear on the gentle cycle with just a mild soap to remove salty sweat stains. They will very certainly need to be reshaped after cleaning in order to restore their form. Make certain that the dry cleaner you select has expertise in drying Hats.

Applying baking soda paste

Some sweat stains are simply impossible to remove, despite what we’ve mentioned thus far. To clean sweat stains from the hat, especially the tough ones, try to apply baking soda mixed with water on the stain.

1. Make a baking soda paste

To eliminate sweat stains, use a paste. In a small basin or container, blend four teaspoons of baking soda and warm water till all the baking soda is dissolved.

2. Apply the solution

The dye should be applied with the paste. With a spoon, apply the mixture to the stained hat. Then, massage the baking soda mixture into the discolored area with a clean soft bristle toothbrush. Allow the paste to soak in for a few minutes to an hour before washing with lukewarm water and dish soap.

3. Rinse off

Rinse away the paste with water. After 60 minutes, rinse the paste with a few drops of cold water. Wash until all of the baking soda is gone.

4. Let it dry

Finally, let it air dry. Fill the cap with a little clean towel to absorb excess moisture. Allow the hat to air dry completely. A fan or an open window can assist in hastening the drying process. Also, avoid putting the cap in the dryer or exposing it to direct sunlight.

Final Thoughts

Hats have become part of the daily outfit of some people. However, in everyday use, it accumulates stains from sweating. With the things mentioned above, it will help you to clean sweat stains from a hat.