How to wash your winter beanies, baseball caps and other hats

Your favorite hats are probably dirty. Most will come in close contact with sweat, oils, dandruff and residual hair care products every time you wear them. That’s why knowing how to wash them without ruining them can be a gamechanger for your personal hygiene and laundry routine. Whether you prefer a knit beanie in the winter or a classic baseball cap, visor or bucket hat, learning how to properly care for your accessories will help them last for years.

To find the best methods for washing hats, I spoke with laundry and cleaning experts for their guidance and product recommendations. I also included highly rated options on Amazon that are specifically meant for cleaning hats, as opposed to other clothes.

SKIP AHEAD Tips for washing your hats properly | How to wash hats | The best products for washing hats | Can you wash hats in the dishwasher? | Why trust NBC Select?

Want more from NBC Select? Sign up for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter.

When making this list, I focused on three key factors, laid out for me by experts I spoke with. These should prevent any damage to your hats and are what I kept in mind while reporting this story:

Hat material

Hats are often made of cotton, wool, cashmere and fleece, some of which are too delicate to wash the same way you would jeans or towels, for example. Plus, washing and drying these hats as you would clothes could deform them, according to Jennifer Rodriguez, chief hygiene office at ProHousekeepers. “Throwing hats in the washing machine with other clothes isn’t the best idea — most hats can lose their shape or even get damaged that way, she says. “The cleaning method really depends on the type of hat.”

How often you wear it

This will determine how dirty your hat is and subsequently, how often you should clean it, according to Rodriguez. Plus, whether or not you wear a hat while also having oily products in your hair and/or things like dandruff or other forms of dermatitis can also contribute to how dirty your hats are, even if they don’t look so on the surface.

Use gentle detergents and laundry accessories

Rodriguez recommends using gentle detergents and products made particularly for delicates, such as hat frames and garment bags. These will help prevent them from getting splotchy, torn, or misshapen after coming in contact with water and being jostled around.

1. Read the manufacturer’s instructions on the best way to care for that particular hat. The label will usually say whether to machine or hand-wash.
2. Place the beanie(s) in a laundry garment bag, such as ones you’d use to clean delicates or shoes. This will help them maintain their shape while they wash and dry, according to Rodriguez.
3. Wash them with a mild detergent on a gentle cycle, using cold water only, to prevent damage, tears or warping. Let them air-dry outside of the bags in a ventilated area by laying them flat. Don’t hang them, as this will deform them.

Both Rodriguez and Dulude agree that hand-washing beanies, especially ones made of wool or cashmere, is the best way to clean them. These materials shrink a lot in the wash and can get stretched out in the process.

1. Fill a sink, bathtub, bowl or basin with cold water mixed with a splash of mild laundry detergent, just enough to soak the beanie.
2. Dunk the beanie in the water just enough to fully saturate it with the soap and water. Outside of the water, use your hands and fingers to work the mixture into the fibers of the beanie.
3. To spot clean, use a super-soft bristle scrub brush to scrub stains in a slow circular motion. Be careful not to scrub too fast, as it could tear the beanie.
4. Wring out the water from the beanie very thoroughly, getting as much out by hand as possible. Lay it out to dry instead of hanging it to prevent it from getting misshapen.

On most occasions, you should hand-wash baseball caps, according to Will Cotter, founder of cleaning company FreshSpace Cleaning. Plus, hand-washing is a more thorough way of cleaning the outside and the inside of the hat. “If you’re the type that always wears them, for sure, there’s grime in the sweatband area,” he says. “I think a good hand scrub or spot-cleaning targets those areas better without drenching the entire item.”

1. It’s best to hand-wash baseball caps because they’re much more structured than beanies, and the agitation from a washing machine, along with the detergent and water, can cause them to lose their shape, according to Rodriguez.
2. Soak a sponge or soft-bristle brush in lukewarm water mixed with mild detergent and scrub all over gently, including around the headband where sweat accumulates. Avoid submerging the hat in water if the brim is made of cardboard, as this could cause it to warp. Let it air-dry.
3. Alternatively, if your baseball cap doesn’t have a cardboard brim and you want to wash multiple caps at once, you can try “stripping” it: Add the caps to a bathtub filled with cold or lukewarm water, around a cup of Borax or baking soda and a splash of mild laundry detergent. Let it sit for at least a few hours, swishing them around each hour. Drain the water and let air dry.
4. If you want to wash your caps in a washing machine, use a hat frame or “cage.” These are baseball cap-shaped structures you’ll place over the hat to ensure it maintains its shape. Still, it’s important to use the most gentle cycle on your machine.

1. To wash more fragile structured hats, such as cowboy hats, berets and fedoras, Rodriguez recommends hand-washing using cold water, mild detergent and a gentle washcloth.
2. Dampen the cloth with a mix of the water and detergent and use it to rub the surface of the hat and let air-dry.
3. If your hat is made of a particular difficult material and/or are afraid of messing it up, consider taking it to a professional cleaner.

All of the products below are either direct recommendations from experts I spoke with, ones NBC Select staff members have used themselves and/or have at least a 4-star average rating from more than 500 reviews on Amazon.

Combat Cleaner Store Ultimate Hat Cleaner Kit

What we like

• Comes with a brush
• Includes a deodorizer

Something to note

• Best for baseball caps

This set comes recommended by Kadi Dulude, the founder of home cleaning company Wizard of Homes, based in New York City. It has a brush, cleaning spray and a scented deodorizing spray. You can dip the bristles in water and then spray them with the cleaning solution before scrubbing the hat. You can also use a cloth or towel to wipe it clean.

Baseball Cap Washing Frame

What we like

• Has a secure zipper cover

Something to note

• Not for beanies or other hats

Dulude recommends using these plastic and mesh baseball hat frames to prevent your washer from deforming your hats. Since they have hooks, you can hang them up to dry afterward, since they have loops and clasps. You can also use them to simply maintain your hat’s shape as they sit on a shelf or in a drawer, preventing them from being compressed by other clothing.

Honeycomb Mesh Laundry Bags (3-Pack)

What we like

• Good for all delicates
• Can use for shoes too

Something to note

• Nothing to note at this time

These laundry bags, which are 16 inches long and 12 inches wide, can help keep delicates, such as silk, undergarments, socks, shoes and hats separated from your other clothes while in the wash. The bags, which have a 4.7-star average rating from 33,126 ratings on Amazon, have anti-rust zippers with a cover on the end or prevent it from coming undone while in the machine, according to the brand.

OxiClean Max Force Laundry Stain Remover Spray

What we like

• Good for spot treating stains
• Travel friendly
• Can also use on clothing

Something to note

• Nothing to note at this time

Rodriguez also recommends OxiClean for any hats you need to clean by hand. This travel-friendly sized spray is ideal for spot-treating grease, food or mud stains, according to the brand. To use it, the brand recommends spraying the stain directly and then waiting for at least five minutes before putting in a washer or using other tools, to scrub away the stain.

Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

What we like

• Ideal for soaking
• Can use it to clean silver
• Also cleans upholstery

Something to note

• Best for hand-washing

You can use washing soda, also known as sodium carbonate, similarly to baking soda when it comes to cleaning, though the two are not the same and you shouldn’t use washing soda while cooking. You can use this washing soda, which has a 4.8-star average rating from 46,932 reviews on Amazon, to clean hats by mixing it with water to make a paste to scrub on your hat. You can also use it or Borax to strip your hats in water, as described above.

The Laundress Laundry Brush for Stain Removal

What we like

• Safe on delicates and bedding
• Ideal for food stains

Something to note

• Nothing to note at this time

Similar in shape to a toothbrush, you can use this laundry brush on T-shirts, bedding, knits and more, according to the brand. You can apply it directly to a stain and scrub the stains in slow circular motions.

Yes, you technically can wash hats in the dishwasher, according to Rodriguez, but you should do it carefully and with a mild dishwasher detergent without bleach. Also place the hats (by themselves) on the top rack of the dishwasher — doing so on the bottom may damage it — with cold water.

At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

• Jennifer Rodriguez is the chief hygiene office at ProHousekeepers, a housekeeping services company.

• Kadi Dulude is the founder of home cleaning company Wizard of Homes, based in New York City.
• Will Cotter is the owner and founder of cleaning company FreshSpace Cleaning.

I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I cover home and kitchen-related topics, including explainers on how to clean your mattress and the best way to clean grout. For this story, I spoke with two cleaning experts for their guidance and recommendations and kept in mind different circumstances for cleaning winter hats, baseball caps, fedoras and more.

Catch up on Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.