Cleaning your hat

Hat cleaning and maintenance

The hats and caps are considered an integral part of your clothing. To increase their longevity, they must be treated gently! If in doubt, ask a specialist!

Different types of hats:

Straw hats, and particularly Panama hats, are known to be indestructible. This is true, but only in the tropics! Here, the climate isn't humid enough for the palm leaves to stay moist and flexible. In Europe, on the other hand, these fibers dry out very quickly, especially when the hat is kept in a heated room.

The felt hats are very difficult to clean.

Fabric hats made of alcantara style can be entrusted to any dry cleaner.

Usage tips:

All hats, whether made of felt, straw, or fabric, should always be stored upside down to prevent brim deformation.

Similarly, when the hat is wet, it should be dried at room temperature.

Avoid placing the hat on a radiator or near a heat source. If the temperature is too hot, they will shrink just like wool sweaters washed in hot water.

Also, when wearing your hat, never pinch the crown to avoid cutting the fiber.

Before you roll up your hat for winter, it needs a shower or treatment via a cigar humidor (which also need a humid climate, like in Cuba).

Methods for cleaning and repairing hats:

Hat dents can be removed with steam (for example, using a kettle where water is heated to produce steam). After all, this is how hats are shaped (using heat, moisture, and pressure).

Dusty hats should be reshaped with a brush for clothes in a counterclockwise direction (viewed from above).

cleaning a felt hat by Chapellerie-Traclet

Who to contact for cleaning your hats?

If you need to clean your hat, use a hat cleaning device or consult a textile specialist.

Master hatmaker for more than a century, we are able to maintain all types of hats, with adapted products and specialized equipment. For this, please contact us.