Your grandmother passed on her impressive collection of vintage jewelry and accessories – comes with it a great-looking classic fedora hat. You not only love it but also want to keep the legacy of the hat. Taking proper care of a straw fedora hat is tricky. Hand stains, improper crown handling, and loss of shape are few issues with the classic accessory. Natural woven hats are very delicate and elegant headgears to add ‘oomph’ to your entire outfit.
Handle with care it’s ‘Fedora’
Fedora is one of the oldest head accessories in the fashion world. It is traditional and yet contemporary. Handle the hat with proper care. The dent on the Fedora is the authentic design that sets it aside from other hats. Do not keep anything heavy over the hat. Better to place the hat in wide drawers or hang it on the wall to retain its beauty. You can always invest in great hat containers and holders to keepsake the traditional headcover. These accessories are not just practical for harsh weather but also a fashion statement. Both men and women can adorn this cute and intelligent-looking accessory. Ladies can style it with a pair of denim, summer dresses, leather jackets, and suede outfits. Men can explore more options like wearing one with a semi-formal outfit or trying with summer shorts.
Handling and care of straw fedora hats are always challenging. When you are looking for professional cleaning, it comes with huge, surprising bills. Avoid dry cleaning the caps and instead switch to self-care. Here are handy and straightforward steps to help you with the thorough cleaning of this classic accessory.
Simple steps for cleaning a ‘Fedora’:
- Hold on to a soft bristle brush and gently stroke around the hat to get rid of dust and dry dirt. Do not put too much pressure while rubbing the brim, and you may damage the classic shape.
- You can also place the hat on a flat surface to retain its classic structure. Holding the hand may transfer the oil or grease from your fingers and palm. You can also use gloves to handle the heat.
- Remove any extra ribbons or bits & bobs stuck onto the hat before doing the primary cleaning. You do not want to lose the brooch or delicate ribbon (with your name initials) to fall off.
- Ensure that the extra attachments are fixable later. Most of the fedora straw caps come with a ribbon around the crown. The fabric is removable and ideal for separate washing or cleaning.
- Make your solution for cleaning the vintage accessory. Mix one part of rubbing alcohol to one amount of water in a spray bottle and shake well to get the perfect cleaning product.
- You can also use mild soaps without fragrance ones to clean deeper. One tiny part of soap with one significant amount of water can do the magic.
- Always use a soft white cloth to clean the hats. Colored fabric may result in the transfer of stains on your headcover.
- Do a small test on the soft rug to check if the solution results in staining. Then try spraying a little over the Fedora to see if there is any reaction.
- Remove small wet debris and dirt from the hat using the solution. Do a circular and gentle stroke on the cap. Do not be too harsh, or you may ruin the weave of the hat.
- Gently wipe the fabric over the cap and then use strokes downwards to clean the brim or the floppy side of the hat. The one-direction movement helps in retaining the weave and the shape of the hat.
- You can also use a medium-pressure vacuum cleaner to suck away the dirt and debris stuck between the weaves. You can choose to either blow in the gaps or use mild suction to get rid of the filth.
- Never soak the woven hats in liquid; this would completely ruin the shape of the head accessory. Hats are for gentle wipes and target cleaning if there are stains.
- Avoid putting the hats in the washing machine for cleaning or even for drying. Let the hat air dry or keep it in the sun for natural drying. The tumble dryer would spoil the shape of the hat.
You do not have to clean the straw fedora hat every time you use it. You can have a monthly cleaning regime for all the fantastic hat collections you have in the wardrobe. However, if you find stains on the hat due to improper use, it is ideal for getting rid of it right away before it turns tough.
On wet cleaning, you may find the natural grass hats change color. Do not worry about it. The natural grass shows different colors when treated with liquid. Just let it air dry for few hours and then keep it back in the accessory section for future use.