How do you wash ball caps?

[CJDave]

[img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] I've noticed that the really good caps with the multiple rows of stitching in the brim will wash and survive a lot better. Caps with the seam in the middle of the top section and lotsa stitches are the ones which seem to have the best useful life.[img]images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

[AJMBLAZER]

Eh, wear it until it dies. The entire 4 years I was in the Marines I had this one cover (cammie hat for us civilians[img]images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]) that I had from boot camp to finish. Wore it every day to work, except for inspections. I was first told to throw it away and get another one about 2 years in.[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] It survived every senior person to me who ever told me to get rid of it. It totally fit my head and didn't need to be ironed to go back into a perfect Marine Corps spec shape. You could ball it up, step on it, put it in your back pocket, drive over it with a truck, and then pick it up, shake it some, put it on my head, and it'd be right back to shape. It had a nice salt ring on it, and some definate stains, but the smell went away after a while.[img]images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] My crew even named it, "Old Salty". Had it's own place of honor on the dash boards of our work trucks. Mainly because no one else wanted their hats to touch it. We joked that sometimes it ate other covers when no one was looking.[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] All of my Marine Corps stuff is still sitting in my seabag in a corner, except for Old Salty. It's sitting on top of my lamp, a reminder of good times.[img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Okay, so it's late and I'm feeling sentimental.[img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] Just wear them until it's time for another one. Unless it's some sort of hat you just can't replace, when you should probably baby it.[img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[BMB]

I just wear mine in the shower. Really I take'em into the shower with me when they need it and give them a nice shampoo and then rinse, form, and hang on the shower head to dry.

BMB

[Rembrant]

Here's a good one,
I hate to admit sometimes that I'm cranially endowed, and I'm doubtful its because of more brains,<smile>, but I've been buying my "low-pro" ball caps from bigheadcaps.com and it has specific directions for washing...it says right on the tag..."How to clean....Buy a new hat" ha ha. I still do wash em though...cold water wash in with a load of clothes in the washer...and then hang to dry....they're not even nice until they're all ratty and falling apart anyways!! Just my 2 cents worth. I see New Era has some beautiful fitted caps in larger sizes on their website, but they don't ship to Canada yet.<frown>.
Cory

[Chad]

I just pop them in the washer also. I have one of those plastic hat forms but it always comes apart so I don't even use it anymore. Shape your hat as it dries.

[pfunk1974]

who in the heck was that [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

[The_Kid]

well in the dishwasher ofcourse[img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

shorts, buy one of those dishwasher frame things. i have one and it works great. i think u should pick up one if you want to save the hat.

theo

[Shorts]

i might just use the washer and hang dry. i was thinking, what abouy dry-cleaning them?? of course, that costs money, and i don't think i value my caps that much! [img]images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[Rembrant]

Shorts,
I had a couple of caps dry cleaned before...but only because I was working at a commercial laundry plant and it was free, I would never pay to have it done. Anyhow, they may have been clean but they shrunk like a bugger and wouldn't even fit on my head after that.....don't know if it was the "perk" or not, maybe the sonofabitch put them in the dryer and didn't tell me. he he he. What the heck..its only a hat anyway. LOL
Cory