When summer is in full swing it can get hot. The days are long, and the people are enjoying loose, light clothing. But it’s also an excellent time to think of our winter outfits and prepare in advance for the chill that’s to come. And one of the quintessential outfits to wear in cold weather, at all times, is a winter hat, most probably a beanie.
No matter if your printed beanie is from a store or received as a corporate gift, if it sits in our wardrobe throughout the year, the beanie will probably not have the most pleasant smell in the world. Ergo, we will have to wash it. In this article, we will go over every little detail a hat owner needs to know in order to wash their winter hats. We will focus on the beanie the most, but we know that there’s a lot of variety when it comes to winter headgear.
Should We Wash Our Winter Hats and Why?
Anyone who’s ever been out shopping with their parents knows one cardinal rule. Whenever they buy us a new shirt or a new pair of jeans, they stress that they have to wash the item first. It might seem a bit unfair, especially if we’re excited to wear the item as soon as possible, but it makes perfect sense.
Caps, beanies, hats, and bandanas are made in factories. Dust, dirt, grime and other small particles will inevitably find their way to the fabric. Furthermore, the caps will sit on dirty store shelves, and dozens upon dozens of people will try a single cap during the day. In other words, it’s the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and germs.
But there are also other reasons to wash our winter hat, even if it’s been sitting in our wardrobe. Mites, insects, and other small animals might have been moving around our beanie. When they approach and touch the fabric, all of the germs they have transfer onto the beanie easily. In addition, some of the dye from stickers or logos can start to dissolve onto the fabric. Should we want to avoid this dye coming into contact with our skin, we will definitely need to wash the beanie.
Can Winter Hats Go Into the Washer?
The short answer to the question above is an (almost) resounding yes.
Most winter hats, including beanies such as GoPromotional’s Navigator Beanie Hats and Liberty Beanie Hats, are made out of material that can easily go into the washer. That includes wool, polyester, cotton, acrylic, or even cotton blends.
However, there’s a reason we stressed the “almost”. Despite the materials it’s made of, the hat we have might contain something else that can damage the fabric during the washing cycle. Therefore, we highly recommend checking the labels before putting anything in the washer.
Can Winter Hats Go Into the Dryer?
Once again, the question above has an answer that is almost resounding. This time, however, it’s a big no.
The material that beanies and other winter hats are made of is not exactly dryer-friendly. Because of how dryers work, they can stretch or bend the fabric that makes up the hat. That way, we end up with a clothing item that’s stretched to its capacity and no longer fits us. If possible, we need to air-dry our hats at all times. However, it’s still instructive to check the label and see if we might just put the beanie in the dryer.
Another method of drying a beanie is to wrap it in a clean towel. The fabrics from the towel will absorb all of the liquid, leaving us with a semi-dry hat that can easily lose all of its moisture with some air-drying.
How Can We Reshape Our Beanie?
Oftentimes, beanies like the Beechfield Reflective Beanie Hat will shrink or lose its basic shape after the wash. Most beanies are one-size-fits-all, so when that happens, they will no longer go on our heads as easily as before. When that happens, we need to reshape the beanie and we need to do it right.
The best method we know of is to soak the beanie in boiling water for a little while. Next, we take it out of the water and leave it out to dry. In order to achieve the shape we want, we’ll need to fill the beanie with soft material that’s easy to mould and remove. Usually, we recommend handkerchiefs or napkins, but wadded-up plastic bags will also do the trick.
How Often Should We Wash Our Winter Hats?
The frequency of washing winter hats will vary depending on what we do. For example, we might simply wear it whenever we go outside and run errands. That way, it doesn’t get as dirty and sweat-soaked as usual, but it still needs a good cleaning. We recommend doing it at least once a month for casual wearers.
However, if we sweat more frequently with the beanie on, we will need to wash it more often. For example, gymgoers who run and train during the winter months might want to wash their beanie at least once a week. In addition, they should have at least two or three clean beanie spares.
Can We Sleep With the Beanie On?
Broadly speaking, sleeping with the beanie on isn’t an issue. In fact, we might even take a slumber wearing it every now and again. It’s a good way to keep warm when the heating is out or when we’ve washed our hair before bedtime.
However, we don’t recommend doing it often. Sleeping with the beanie on will make us sweat more than usual. In addition, we will be hot throughout the night, which will result in us not getting any proper sleep at all. And there’s even an aesthetic reason to avoid sleeping with the beanie. Namely, it will seriously mess with our hair and give us a bedhead do. Combing over that in the morning is too much of a hassle, even for guys with short hair.
How to Wash a Beanie: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step #1: Checking the Tag
First and foremost, we need to see if our beanie can handle machine washing. As we stated earlier, it all depends on what type of beanie we own and whether the washer will damage it or not.
If we can’t seem to find the tag, we can contact the manufacturer directly. Lots of manufacturers have customer service, and they are likely to know what’s the best way to wash the beanies they produce.
Step #2: Putting the Beanie Inside of Something
The wash cycle can be quite rough, and some beanies don’t have that strong of a weave. In other words, it’s not exactly odd for them to unravel or stretch when we simply fling them in the washer and click the button.
So, instead of simply placing it into the drum, we first need to get a mesh laundry bag or a pillowcase. Next, we place the beanie inside of this item and make sure it’s sealed. That way, the beanie will still get the washing treatment without actually losing any of its fibres.
Step #3: Washing the Beanie
We must remember that hot water can reshape our beanies during the washing cycle. As such, we should always use mild or even cold water and a lower speed setting. In addition, we might also have to consider a mild detergent so that it doesn’t stain or damage the fabric.
Step #4: Reshaping the Beanie
We’ve already covered this section a little earlier in the article, but it bears repeating. If our beanie looks a little worse for wear, we can stuff it with paper towels, napkins, or handkerchiefs. You may even opt to use custom plastic bags you brought home from an event in order to reshape it.
Step #5: Air-Drying the Beanie
Once again, we have to stress that air-drying is the way to go with beanies. Tumble dryers can be just as fast and hot as washing machines, and recklessly putting the beanie in them can result in stretching and even tears.
How to Wash Printed Beanie Hats
Branded Pom-Pom Hats
Since the pom-pom is the most sensitive part of these hats, we need to handle it with utmost care. The best way to clean pom pom hats such as the Beechfield Original Pom Pom Beanie Hat is by lightly rinsing it under the showerhead or faucet. The rest of the cap is simple enough to clean. All we have to do is turn the hat inside out (to hide the pom-pom) and use mild detergent and lukewarm water on the hat’s inner surface.
Custom Knit Hats
Knit hats like the Beechfield Classic Waffle Knit Beanie Hats are comfy and cosy, but not apt for machine washing. Instead, we need to use cold water and soap and wash them by hand. If we want to get rid of extra moisture, we simply roll the hat in a dry towel for a while.
Hats that Contain Fur
Fur does not go well with chemicals, especially washing machine products. So, we need to wash fur-lined hats with cold water and a mild detergent. Next, we brush the hat with a soft bristle brush slowly. Finally, we let it air-dry for as long as necessary.
Berets
Berets might seem more durable than the other hats listed above, but they are still best washed by hand. And yes, once again, we will be using mild detergent and cold water. Before we wash the berets, however, we can brush off all of the lint and dust from their surface.
Beanies With Visors
Most beanie visors are made out of light plastic or some other flexible material. That material will either bend or crumble in the washer. So, as is always the case, we will wash it with cold water and a mild cleaning product.
Beanies With Strings
Yet again, we will be washing by hand and we will be using mild soap and cold or lukewarm water. However, unlike with pom-poms, we should not make the strings wet. They will take a long time to dry, and if they remain moist, we risk getting mould on our beanies.
Beanies With Tech
Some beanies, especially modern ones, come with LED lights and Bluetooth. Those are definitely not beanies we want to soak in water, be it hot or cold. Instead, we can remove any lint with a roller and use a wet cloth to remove individual spots or stains.
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Removing Bad Odours from Winter Hats
Washing beanies is fine and all, but there are certain hats that retain odd smells even after the wash. In order to get rid of them, we can try one of the following methods:
- Sprinkling baking soda in the hat and leaving it in there for half an hour, then shaking out and vacuuming up the remaining bits.
- Soaking wads of newspaper in essential oils and stuffing the hat with them, then leaving the hat overnight somewhere and removing the paper in the morning.
- Mixing a teaspoon of white vinegar and roughly 15 drops of essential oil, then spraying the hat with the mixture lightly.
- Using leftover lemon or citrus fruit peels and placing them in the hat overnight.
- Soaking the hat in a mixture of ¼-cup fabric softener and cold water for about 30 minutes and then laying it on a clean towel to dry.
Beanie and Winter Hat Maintenance Done Right
The main reason people don’t wash their beanies often is that they simply don’t wear them that much. However, beanies and winter hats are every bit as important as T-shirts and underwear, and as such, we need to wash them regularly. Hopefully, our list of tips will help our readers figure out the best way to keep their favourite winter hat clean and odour-free.
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