How many sweat-stained hats do you own?

[swilson]

One thing that I've found that works pretty well is to take some liquid laundry detergent and rub it into the hat with my hand.  I use a fair amount, probably the equivalent to a load of laundry.

Then I let it sit like that for a day or two, and then just hose it off.  The hats come clean, near new looking, but you need to make sure that you get all the soap out or you'll end up with the greasy feeling like someone mentioned above.  The hat dries pretty quick a few hours usually.

[Double Bogey]

Originally Posted by Pope33

Do you guys add soap in the dishwasher when you wash them? I have before and it gets them clean, but the next time I start sweating in my washed hat, it feels really greasy and my head will start breaking out.

Yes, but double rinse and if your dishwasher uses jet dry, cancel that part of the wash.  I learned that one the hard way

[Ringworld]

If you want to revive your old hats, there are several ways to do it.

The newer hats have that memory board which won't flatten.  The trick is how to dry them and keep their shape.

I wash my hats regularly.  All you have to do is this.  In the wash before you add the hats, throw in detergent, a cap full of bleach, some fabric softener, and two caps of Simple Green.

The simple green will break down the dried sweat stains.  The bleach will kill any smell creating bacteria.  BEFORE you add the hats into the wash best to keep the shape of the hat by pulling the strap of the adjustable hat so it's at it's smallest size, then fold your hat brim into the hat itself.  You can adjust the strap to how you want that hat to maintain its form.  Doing this keeps the shape of the brim throughout washing and drying.  It works especially well with cardboard brims.  Plastic brims just bung those bad boys into the wash.

After the wash drop them into the dryer keeping the same form and it should be good as new if not slightly faded.  To prevent fading use COLD water :D  Sun damage lol you are out playing floG too much LOL

[ghalfaire]

I hadn't thought about it until I read this thread so I counted mine.  I have 11 sweat soaked hats in the garage that I wear to work in the yard.  I don't need 11 so maybe I throw 9-10 away.  Hard to do though.  I don't wear sweat soaked hats to the course and have a couple of hat that are fairly new for playing.  One is big brimmed and I usually wear it, the other is a ball cap that I used on windy days.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Ringworld

If you want to revive your old hats, there are several ways to do it.

The newer hats have that memory board which won't flatten.  The trick is how to dry them and keep their shape.

I wash my hats regularly.  All you have to do is this.  In the wash before you add the hats, throw in detergent, a cap full of bleach, some fabric softener, and two caps of Simple Green.

The simple green will break down the dried sweat stains.  The bleach will kill any smell creating bacteria.  BEFORE you add the hats into the wash best to keep the shape of the hat by pulling the strap of the adjustable hat so it's at it's smallest size, then fold your hat brim into the hat itself.  You can adjust the strap to how you want that hat to maintain its form.  Doing this keeps the shape of the brim throughout washing and drying.  It works especially well with cardboard brims.  Plastic brims just bung those bad boys into the wash.

After the wash drop them into the dryer keeping the same form and it should be good as new if not slightly faded.  To prevent fading use COLD water :D  Sun damage lol you are out playing floG too much LOL

What would I do with a front load machine.

I use HE Tide stain release and that seems to work. When the colour starts to fade it's a yardwork hat. Then soon after it becomes a thrown in the trash hat. I don't sweat a lot golfing in Alberta though, so as long as I rotate them, I can keep a decent hat for a few years.

[motteler621]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

What would I do with a front load machine.

I use HE Tide stain release and that seems to work. When the colour starts to fade it's a yardwork hat. Then soon after it becomes a thrown in the trash hat. I don't sweat a lot golfing in Alberta though, so as long as I rotate them, I can keep a decent hat for a few years.

Use this detergent http://www.windetergent.com/our_tech.html instead of all the stuff the guy above said, alot easier and wont fade as much as his combo.

[jshots]

Some hats you have to keep but others are definitely ok to throw away. I think most newer high quality are able to be washed in the washing machine and air dried just fine but sometimes those are the ones that have no sentimental value, while the older hats with cardboard bills are the ones that have meaning and can't easily be washed. I should look through my hats

[HackerD]

Saw this on another forum: If it is just sweat stains, febreze the hat, and use enough to get the hat reasonably damp let dry, sweat stains will be gone and hat will smell good.

[TourSpoon]

I have found that rinsing the hats before they dry helps. I just ordered the hat frame washer and will give it a try. That seems to be the biggest thing in that the hats start losing their shape.