How to Wash a Hat in a Dishwasher

Placing a hat in a washing machine may clean the fabric but leave the shape unrecognizable. For baseball caps in particular, a broken brim renders the hat useless because it affects the wearer's line of sight and fails to keep the heat of the sun off the wearer's face. Plus, a misshapen hat completely loses its aesthetic value.

Before you risk ruining your favorite hat in the washing machine just because it needs some freshening up, learn a few tricks for hat care and maintenance. For example, the dishwasher should actually be your appliance of choice for safely cleaning a baseball cap. Or, you could safely wash the hat in your washing machine with a gadget called a hat frame. Finally, spot cleaning represents the safest option for older or more fragile hats.

Inspect the inside of the hat for a care tag that details the hat's material. Wool caps need special consideration with regard to the temperature of the water used to wash them and should be spot cleaned or hand-washed. Cardboard brim hats should also be spot cleaned, since soaking it in water will irreparably disfigure the cardboard.

Cardboard brims are only a concern for older, classic hats. Plastic brims are the norm for modern hats. If you're not sure which material your brim is made of, try looking up the specifications online or simply err on the side of caution and choose to spot clean.

To spot clean a hat, place about 1 tablespoon of hand-washing detergent, like Woolite, in about 1 gallon of warm water. You can either soak the hat in the soapy water and gently rub the fabric to loosen the dirt or dip a clean cloth into the water to apply the soap suds. Allow the detergent to settle into the fabric, and then dab it off again with the cloth or rinse the hat with lukewarm water.

To wash a baseball cap in the dishwasher, place the hat on the top rack with or without a protective hat frame. Consider running the dishwasher without any soiled dishes while washing the hat inside to avoid food scraps settling onto the fabric. Use your normal dishwasher detergent. Don't use the hottest setting or a heated dry, just in case the plastic in the brim begins to distort due to the heat.

It's vital to use a hat frame for washing a baseball cap in a washing machine. This frame prevents the washing machine's agitator and pressure from the spin cycle from crumpling the hat. Use your normal washing detergent and run the cycle on a gentle setting with warm water.

Do not place a wet baseball cap in the dryer. According to Tenth Street Hats, it will shrink whether it's cotton or polyester. Instead, set it on a towel to air dry.

If you did not use a hat frame, the hat will come out a little misshapen. To reshape the hat and avoid any large wrinkles from setting in, place the hat over a balled-up towel that fills up the entire cavity. Use a wrinkle release spray if wrinkles do occur.