Hat maintenance and cleaning

Tips for conserving and preserving your hats:

You have just acquired a hat and you want to keep it in good condition for as long as possible. Here you will find some advice to extend the life of your hat.  

First of all, avoid as much as possible grabbing it by the top crown as is regularly done by hat wearers. Proper maintenance is the key to prolonging the life of your hat.

For this; the brush remains the main tool for keeping your headwear, whether it's a hat or a cap, in good condition.

Indeed; it allows you to dust off your hat. Take special care to dust off your wool or fur felt hat to maintain its visual as well as material aspect.

Is your headwear dusty and you want to quickly restore its natural shine? The brush and steam are there to restore the felt's initial appearance.

To do this, use a soft-bristled brush and gently pass it counterclockwise.

This hat brush has the advantage of being easily stored at home but also in a suitcase when traveling and can also be used for your clothes.

For more information, consult our white paper on hat maintenance.

General advice on hat care:

1. Never place your hat flat on a surface.
This could, over time, give a bad shape to the brim of your hat.
It is preferable to turn it upside down, or better, to use a hat box designed for this purpose.

2. To clean a stained straw hat, wipe it with a clean damp cloth.
For a felt hat, use a soft brush always going counterclockwise.
Repeat as often as necessary. Moreover, to revive the felt, you can boil a pot of hot water
to obtain steam and this will restore the hat's hair to its original appearance.

3. As heat and perspiration can shrink the hat's internal comfort band,
it is recommended never to leave it near a radiator, a lamp, or on the rear shelf of your vehicle.

4. If your hat has been used in the rain, we advise you to turn the internal comfort band inside out, as well as when it's leather; and let it dry without being in contact with the hat.
Avoid leaving your wet hat lying flat.

How to maintain a felt hat after rain? If your wool or fur felt hat has been wet, your hat may not only become deformed but also, and especially, shrink when drying (head size).

It is therefore advisable to follow the following procedure to keep your headwear intact:

1.  Remove as much water as possible by shaking your headwear to remove excess water.
2.  Reshape it as much as possible to its original form
3.  Then stuff it with tissue paper or a dry cloth.
4.  Then, above all, let it dry at room temperature, as far away from heat sources as possible
5.  Once dry, brush it to clean and restore its former luster in a counterclockwise direction.

5. Comfort band or leather grosgrain: To air out your internal comfort band, regularly turn it outwards to let it dry when the hat is not in use. This is the part of the hat that is in direct contact with the skin. The fabric comfort band should absorb sweat, but not without leaving traces. Indeed, over time, perspiration will get into the felt. To avoid this, it is possible to clean the comfort band with a cloth moistened with cold water and a few drops of ammonia. Then rinse it with clear water. In the case of leather, it is preferable to clean it with a baby wipe to remove perspiration without damaging the leather.

6. On a felt hat, clean grease or moisture stains with talcum powder by brushing it gently.
Avoid all liquid cleaners, Never put your hat in the washing machine. For cleaning, please send it to us for
a complete cleaning.

7. Take your hat by the front or back brim as often as possible.

8. Cleaning or Reshaping your hat

How to reshape, clean, and restore its original shine in one operation: Steam is the solution

To restore its original shine, place it over steam or use a pot of water and boil this water until you get steam. Thus, the steam will have the advantage of restoring its shine, especially for fur felt, and its newer appearance. This steam will also allow you, when brushing counterclockwise, to remove dust.

For straw, the steam will soften those made of straw, and prevent them from becoming brittle. 

If you need to reshape it, take it to a humid place, it will soften, and you can easily model it by hand, regardless of its material. For the crown, place your hands inside the hat and gently smooth it to the desired shape. Otherwise, use a wooden form to restore its shape.

9. Storing the hat

For all hats; it is recommended to place your hat flat. Over time, the brim could lose its shape. Place it on a hat stand or in a hat box if you have one. If not, store it in a closet upside down, with the brim facing the ceiling.