How to Wash a Hat Without Ruining It: Every Material

The short answer: clean a hat by its material, not like laundry. Spot-clean with a damp cloth, cold water and a plant-based soap, never fully soak it, and let it dry naturally away from heat. Brush wool felt dry, keep straw and raffia as dry as you can, treat leather with a leather dressing, and hand-wash only cloth hats.

This guide follows the same care advice we give on our Hat Care page, from a family that has made hats for over 50 years. If your hat came from us, the Hat Care tab on its product page tells you its exact material.

How to clean each type of hat: quick guide

Before you start: what is your hat made of?

The material decides the method. Check the care label, or the Hat Care tab on the product page if the hat is one of ours. Conner hats are made from Australian wool felt, organic raffia, toyo (paper) straw, palm and Bangora straw, cotton (organic, weathered, waxed and oilskin), genuine leather and hemp. When you are unsure, spot-clean; it is the safest choice for every hat.

How do you clean a felt cowboy hat or wool hat?

Clean wool felt dry. Use a lint brush, or press the sticky side of packing tape onto the felt and lift away dust, lint and pet hair. For a mark, dab gently with a barely damp cloth and cold water, and let it dry naturally.

If the crown or brim loses its shape, use steam from a kettle. Hold the hat in the steam until the felt softens, reshape it by hand, then let it cool before you wear it. Never soak a felt hat or put it in a washing machine: felt holds its shape because it was shaped on a hat block, and soaking undoes that.

Shop felt cowboy hats and non-mulesed wool hats. For a deeper walkthrough, see How to Clean a Cowboy Felt Hat.

How do you clean a straw or raffia hat?

Keep straw as dry as possible. Brush off dust and sand with a soft brush. For a mark, dab with a damp cloth and a little plant-based soap, then let the hat dry naturally. Do not soak it or let water sit in the weave.

Organic raffia is not water-repellent, but its natural resin gives it mild water resistance, so a few drops of rain will not hurt it. Wrinkles in raffia come out with kettle steam. The same steam trick reshapes toyo, palm and Bangora straw.

Shop straw hats and organic raffia hats. Sweat marks on straw are covered in How to Clean a Straw Hat with Sweat Stains.

How do you clean a leather hat?

Oily leather. To remove a small mark, rub the area firmly with your thumb; that is often enough. For an oil mark, rub in chalk close to the hat's colour to soak it up, then rub the chalk off. For a stain that will not shift, apply a leather dressing to the outside of the hat. It darkens the leather, masks the stain and helps the hat shed water.

Suede. Use a soft cleaning brush or a light-grade sandpaper to lift marks. A clear, soft eraser also works; never use a coloured one, as it can leave a mark. Non-toxic protective sprays help suede resist stains and rain.

Let any leather hat dry naturally. Heat from a heater, hair dryer or a hot car dries leather out. Shop leather hats, or read How to Clean a Leather Hat and Remove Sweat Stains.

How do you wash a cotton hat or baseball cap?

Spot-clean a cloth hat with a damp cloth and cold water first. If it needs more, hand-wash it in a sink with cold water and a plant-based soap. Regular detergents can be toxic for waterways. Rinse, press out the water gently without wringing, reshape the hat, and let it dry naturally. Brim wrinkles come out if you lay a clean rag or old T-shirt over the brim and iron through it.

The exception: waxed cotton and oilskin. Hats such as the Kentucky Waterproof Oiled Cotton Cap get their weather protection from the wax, and soap strips it. Wipe them with a damp cloth and soft brush only. To re-proof cotton and canvas hats, use Nikwax Fabric & Leather Waterproofing Spray.

Shop cotton hats.

How do you clean a white hat with yellow stains?

Yellow marks on a white hat are usually sweat and skin oils, so treat them early. Work cold water and a little plant-based soap into the mark with a soft brush, rinse with a clean damp cloth, and let the hat dry naturally out of direct sun. Avoid bleach, which can weaken fibres and discolour some fabrics. Our guide How to Clean a White Hat goes step by step.

How do you dry a hat without ruining its shape?

• Reshape the crown and brim by hand while the hat is still damp.
• Let it dry naturally, away from heaters, dryers and direct heat.
• If it dries out of shape, hold it in kettle steam until it softens, reshape it, and let it cool before wearing.
• Store it on a hat rack, or upside down on its crown so the brim keeps its shape.

Can you put a hat in the washing machine, dryer or dishwasher?

We don't recommend any of them. A washing machine soaks the hat, which our care advice says never to do, and it can crush the crown and brim. A tumble dryer and a dishwasher add heat, which shrinks cloth, warps a brim and dries out leather. Hand care takes a few minutes and keeps the hat in shape for years.