by Lisa Piper

Created on: August 15, 2009

Most people own at least one baseball hat. If they are worn with any kind of frequency, inevitably, they must be cleaned. They will need to be cleaned more often if you wear them on a daily basis. There are a few ways you can go about this.

Before trying any of the following ideas for washing your baseball hat, be sure to read the care instructions on the tag on the inside of the hat. Depending on the color and type of fabric your hat is made of, your hat may have special instructions for keeping it clean or washing it.

You should first invest in a plastic cap cage. This is a plastic cage that is shaped like a baseball hat that you close your hat inside of to keep your hat from losing it's shape when you clean it. They are very inexpensive and can be found at most department stores.

The first, and easiest way to clean your hat is to put it in the dishwasher. Close it in the cap cage securely and set it in the top rack of your dishwasher. Wash your hat on the regular cycle. You can wash dishes at the same time, but it isn't recommend. Just make sure there's nothing on your dishes that could stain your hat, such as spaghetti sauce. Run the dishwasher and remove the hat before the drying cycle starts. Leaving it in throughout the drying cycle may cause your hat to shrink..

Another way to clean your baseball hat is soak it in a bucket of water and detergent. Leave it in for fifteen minutes and agitate occasionally. If it's extremely dirty, you can leave it in the bucket for up to a week. Rinse thoroughly under running water to completely remove the detergent.

If your hat only needs a spot cleaning, just use a damp, soft cloth and wipe the area until clean. If it's a stubborn stain, use a spot cleaner or water and detergent and a toothbrush. Scrub gently and rinse with water.

If your hat is white, you can put it outside in the sun to dry and the sun will help whiten it. If your cap is of a darker color, just set it somewhere inside that's warm and dry and away from the sun. This will help keep the color from fading

The best thing to do for your hat is take it to a dry cleaner, they have equipment and experience to take the best care of your hat, especially if it's a collectors item.

These are just a few ideas to keep your baseball hat in good, clean condition. There are several other ways to clean your hat, depending on the situation, but these are the most common.

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