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Can You Put a Hat in the Dryer? (Do’s & Don’ts)

Whether it’s a baseball cap, a beanie, or a boater hat we are talking about, after wearing your hat for so long, it starts to build up dirt and oil from your hair which calls for washing.

However, it’s a hat, and you’re not exactly sure what to do and how to clean it, so you have to ask yourself the following question. Can you put a hat in the dryer? Read on to find out.

Key Takeaways

  • You really shouldn’t put your hats in the dryer
  • Tumble drying usually just ruins the shape and form of the hat and can even ruin its material
  • Even just washing your hat can be enough to damage your hat
  • If you plan on putting your hat in the washer anyway and it is a beanie or a bucket hat, which are fine to put in the dryer, you should still make sure to check their tag
  • Never forget to first check the tag of the article, in this case, the hat, to see if it is eligible for being tumble-dried

Can a Hat Be Put in the Dryer?

This depends on the hat and its material, however, most hats shouldn’t go in the dryer. Tumble-drying hats is a bad idea, as this ruins the shape and the fabric they are made of. Putting a hat in the dryer can be abysmal except for beanies and maybe berets.

What this means is that the material they are made of can impact the way they are to be dried. For example, if you want to wash a baseball cap putting it in the dryer isn’t the smartest thing to do. It has a carton brim that will very easily be ruined even at low pressure just by tumble drying.

Beanies, however, wouldn’t have that problem as they are mostly made out of cotton and already have a shape that isn’t very easy to ruin.

So, without a word, we already know that some materials do not go into the dryer. Wool is naturally prone to shrinkage, which makes putting a woolen item, let alone a hat, into the dryer a horrible idea.

A great way to know how to care about your clothing item, even hats, is to check their tag. This ensures that you know how to properly wash and dry your article.

How to Wash a Hat?

As said about the drying, before washing a hat you should look at the product tag to determine whether you should dry-clean it or if it’s safe to put in the machine.

After that, you should think about the material it is made of to know how to safely clean it and take care of it. There are many types of hats made out of different materials.

Also, read a great list of hat embroidery machines.

This could be anything from:

  • Straw hats
  • Cotton hats
  • Wool hats
  • Other synthetic materials

Therefore, each material should be treated differently.

Straw hats

Straw hats are a very obvious strong no-go when it comes to washing them in the machine. Straw hats should not, at any cost, be washed in the machine. Even the strongest straw hat will be ruined if it’s washed like that.

Cotton hats

Any type of cotton article is usually fine with going into the washing machine. Cotton hats, in most cases, should be fine with being washed in the machine. Even if there is a slight shrinkage, they won’t be any significant damage done to the hat.

However, if you have a baseball cap you shouldn’t put that in the washing machine or dryer. Any cap with a cardboard brim will definitely be ruined and lose its shape in the washing machine.

This goes for any older baseball vintage hats for the new ones are usually made with a plastic brim or a cotton blend brim, etc.

Wool hats

It is not recommended to wash your wool hats in the washing machine, because they can shrink and lose their form very easily. However, by using a garment bag or simply putting the woolen hat in a pillow case this can be avoided.

If you think your hat is delicate and must not be put into the washing machine, you can just wash it by hand.

Synthetic materials or cotton blends

Materials such as polyester cotton blends or acrylic and mesh are fine being washed. This type of material is synthetic which makes for strong durability and they don’t lose their color very easily.

How should you dry a hat?

Now that you’ve learned that putting a hat in the dryer is a bad idea, and almost the same goes for washing, you should also learn about how to properly dry a hat.

You can dry-clean your hats without using any type of heat or water, so you don’t ruin the material of the hat. However, some hats can be washed with water too.

So then, after you’ve washed the hat, preferably by hand. This mostly means that it’s time for it to dry. You should let it air-dry which is the most natural method of drying there is.

How to let your hat dry fast

Drying a hat isn’t that complicated of a task. Once you’ve washed your hat you should just let it sit in the sun lying flat and let it dry.

However, if you’re in a rush and need it to be dry fast you could also let it sit under the air conditioner.

Another fast way to let it dry is to use a little help from your friend called “the blow-dryer”. It’s really easy to use and it’s a simple and safe way to get your hat dry in no time.

Final Words

Hats are very delicate articles of clothing that shouldn’t be washed in the machine, let along tumble-dried. It’s crucial for you to take care of them properly because they can very easily lose their shape. Once a hat has ruined its shape it is practically unwearable.

To not make that mistake, you should check their tag before preceding with cleaning it. Some hats need to only be dry-cleaned, whereas others can be washed. Washing them should be by hand and tumble-drying should be avoided at all costs.