How to clean a cap at home

To clean a cap at home, check the label and the brim first, then spot-clean the sweatband with a soft brush and a little mild soap. Hand-wash the whole cap in lukewarm soapy water, rinse it cool, and let it air-dry on a round shape out of direct sun. Skip the washing machine and the dryer, which are the usual way caps lose their shape.

Check the cap before you start

Two things decide how gently you need to go.

• The care label. Most cotton and polyester caps can be hand-washed. Wool, leather, suede and caps with sequins or patches need more care, and if the label says dry clean only, leave it at a light spot-clean.
• The brim. Older caps sometimes have a cardboard brim, which goes soft and warps when it’s soaked. Tap the brim: if it sounds hollow and papery, don’t submerge the cap. Newer caps usually have a plastic brim that copes with water.

Then test your soap on a hidden spot inside, such as the underside of the sweatband, to check the colour doesn’t run. Dark and bright caps are the ones most likely to bleed.

How to clean a cap by hand, step by step

1. Brush off loose dirt. Use a dry soft brush or a lint roller on the crown and brim.
2. Pre-treat the sweatband. The band inside is where sweat, sunscreen and hair oil build up into that yellow-brown line. Put a few drops of mild liquid soap or plain dish soap on it and work it in with an old soft toothbrush. Brush gently, along the stitching, not across it.
3. Make a soapy soak. Fill a basin or sink with lukewarm water, not hot, and stir in a small squirt of gentle detergent.
4. Soak. Push the cap under and leave it for about 15 to 30 minutes. A cardboard-brim cap skips this step: dip a cloth in the soapy water and wipe it down instead.
5. Scrub lightly. Go over the crown and the sweatband again with the toothbrush, using small circles. Don’t fold or crush the front panels.
6. Rinse cool. Rinse under cool running water until no suds are left. Leftover soap attracts dirt and can leave marks as it dries.
7. Press out the water. Blot the cap with a clean towel. Don’t wring or twist it.

Dry it in shape

How a cap dries decides whether it keeps its shape. Stuff the crown with a small towel, or pull it over a round bowl or a ball about the size of a head, so the front panels stay rounded. Then dry it in a breezy, shaded spot or under a fan.

Keep it out of strong direct sun, which can fade the colour and leave tide lines on dark caps, and never put a cap in the dryer. In Klang Valley humidity, a cap can take most of a day to dry fully; a cap stored damp starts to smell, so check that the sweatband is completely dry before you put it away. If an old cap already smells, the tips in How to get rid of musty smell in clothes apply here too.

Why not just put it in the washing machine?

The spin cycle can bend the brim, crush the crown and loosen the stitching on badges and embroidery, and a dryer can shrink cotton and warp the brim for good. Even a dishwasher, an old trick, uses heat and strong detergent that can fade and misshape a cap. Hand-washing takes about ten minutes of actual work and is far kinder. For more on what should stay out of the drum, see How to tell what not to machine-wash.

White caps and sweat stains

On a white cotton cap, a stubborn yellow sweatband line often needs a longer soak and a second round of brushing. A paste of baking soda and a little water, brushed onto the band and left for 15 minutes before rinsing, can help lift it. Don’t use chlorine bleach, which can yellow some fabrics and weaken the stitching. The same idea as underarm marks on shirts applies, and How to get a yellow stain out of a white shirt goes into it in more detail.

How often to clean a cap

If you wear a cap often in the heat, or for sport, give the sweatband a quick spot-clean every couple of weeks and a full hand-wash about once a month. A cap you only wear now and then needs a wash when it looks or smells like it needs one. Spot-cleaning early stops the sweat line from setting in.

FAQ

Can I wash a cap in the washing machine?

It’s best not to. The spin can bend the brim and crush the crown. Hand-washing in lukewarm soapy water is safer.

How do I keep my cap’s shape after washing?

Stuff the crown with a towel or dry it over a round bowl, in the shade, and never in the dryer.

How do I get the sweat stain off a cap?

Pre-treat the sweatband with mild soap and a soft toothbrush, soak in lukewarm water, and brush again. For white caps, a baking soda paste can help.

Caps at the shop in Cheras

If you’d rather not risk a favourite cap, Superman Laundry in Taman Cheras (Cheras Yulek) cleans caps too, and all our sneakers and shoes are washed by hand. Cap cleaning is RM12 for wet clean and RM18 for dry clean; see the price list and our shoe cleaning page. You can drop it off at the shop, or use our pickup and delivery (minimum order RM80, with the delivery fee quoted by distance). We’re open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 7pm, and most items are ready within 3 working days, with express available. WhatsApp 013-833 5526 if you have a question first.