Hiking hat is very important equipment for adventure seekers. It can save you from heat or cold while you are hiking.
Hiking hat can become a sweet memory for you of an amazing adventure. You may want to use that specific hat when you go on other challenging hikes. To keep your hiking hat clean and in good shape, you have to take proper care of your hiking hat.
In this post, I am giving you some tips about how you can take care of your hiking hat.
Taking care of your hiking hat
If you want to make anything last longer, take proper care of that product. Hiking hat is nothing exceptional than that.
Here are some tips for taking care of your hiking hat:
Storing a hat
The way you keep your hat can be an important fact to maintain your hat. Never put your hat on its brim. Always put it on the crown in an upside down manner. Putting the hat on its brim can flatten the brim curve and change the shape of the hat.
Try to hang your hat on a rack or peg. But make sure the hook is a wider one. Otherwise, it can make dimples on the hat and change the shape.
Don’t hang your hat for a long time on the hook.
If you want to keep your hat inside and want to use it in the next season, keep that in a hat box. It will keep the shape of your hat right. Put a packet of silica gel with the hat. It will prevent the hat from getting fungus.
Cleaning a hat
Cleaning your hiking hat is so important. Try to clean your hat after every hiking trip and even during the trip if possible.
Here are some ways to clean your hat:
1. Loose dirt
The most common thing on your hat is loose dirt. You have to clean them properly and timely. Otherwise, they will gather and make permanent dirt.
You can clean the loose dirt with a brush made for cleaning hats. Use a light color brush to clean a light color hat and deep color brush to clean deep color hats.
2. Dust
To remove any dust from your hat, use a damp cloth to wipe the dirt away.
3. Wash your hat
There is some dirt which you cannot remove by brushing or wiping. You need to wash your hat then. Before washing it, check whether you can wash it or not.
Wash your hat in the washing machine separately. It will be cleaner if you wash them alone.
If you want to wash it by hand, you can use soap that doesn’t have bleach.
After washing the hat, when it is still damp, reshape the hat and let it air dry. Don’t use any dryer to dry the hat. It can damage your hat.
After the hat is dry, re-stretch it. Put your knee inside the crown and stretch the brims by your hand. Circle the crown on your knee.
4. Remove sweat stains
Sometimes your sweat can make stain marks on your hat. Sweat stains can rot the fabric of your hat.
You can clean the stains with Palmolive dish detergent and warm water. Apply the detergent on the stain with a brush, put a small amount of warm water and move the brush gently on the spot.
Doing it properly can remove the stains away from the hat.
Extending the hat life
Here are steps you can follow to increase the life of your hat:
1. Handle by the brim, not the crown
Holding the hat by the crown can look very stylish but it’s not the proper way to hold it. Holding the crown can create a crease that cannot be fixed.
Oil and dirt from your hand can be transferred to your hat.
So, hold your hat when your hand is clear.
2. Dry naturally
When your hat gets wet in rain or you wash the hat, always dry the hat naturally. Never use any artificial heat to dry your hat.
Artificial heat can damage the fabrics of the hat. So, it’s better to dry the hat in the open air.
3. Don’t put your hat on a hot car
Never put your hat on the hot dashboard of your car. The external heat from your car can cause changing the shape of your hat and it also can discolor your hat.
4. Flip the sweatband
When your sweatband is soaked with your sweat flip it and let it dry in the air.
You can also clean the oil and dirt from the sweatband by flipping it.
Conclusion
Hiking hat is not a onetime use material that you through it away when it gets dirty. Cleaning it properly can make it last longer. Also, try to maintain the correct process of storing when you are not using it. So, when you come back to it for the next hiking trip, you can have it just like you left it.