Storage

It is a wise woman that invests in heavy duty, extra large hat boxes. I suggest extra large because you can easily store multiple hats in one of these big beauties when care is taken. The ones I use measure 16 inches flat across the lid in width. Tissue paper should be placed in between each hat, and do not over pack the boxes. Yes, I sympathize, hat boxes are notoriously bulky and take up space, but I have found that those large sturdy modern circular boxes are stackable and overall, ended up saving me space in my closet, and worry. Besides, many of them have very pretty patterns now, and look very well in the corner of a room. Unfortunately, authentic vintage hat boxes from the original retailers, with their pleasing aesthetic, are not ideal for storage. They are typically  fragile, and cannot be stacked with confidence. 

Please, beware ladies! Serious hat collectors should never hang hats on the wall. They may look very cute displayed this way, but it will result in your lovely collection accumulating dust and becoming misshapen. Hats that are not stored properly, will sadly never become heirlooms. A dirty hat has a short life. I also don’t recommend storing them on high shelves, once again, the hat’s enemy is dust! 

Cleaning Dust

Speaking of dust, it still happens to the best of hats. So how do we clean off this pesky sign of age? 

Straw hats can be gently brushed with a large soft foundation makeup brush. They can also be wiped with a soft dry microfiber washcloth to remove debris. If the dust is stubborn, you can slightly, ever so slightly dampen, the washcloth and gently, very gently, my dears, blot the dust off. You can use a few dampened cotton swabs to clean out the crevices. 

For felt hats, begin by setting your hair dryer to its cool setting, and with quick sweeping motions remove debris. Double sided tape is my go-to for removing the more stubborn dust from felt. Lint rollers work for general surface dust, but with the double sided tape on your fingers you have more control and can reach spaces that the cumbersome sticky lint roller won’t be able to reach. I kindly recommend that you leave stain removal and spot cleaning to professionals, as it’s very easy to misshape vintage hats when applying any water directly to the felt, no matter how little. 

But what about water’s helpful step sister, steam? 

Steaming for Maintenance

Wrinkled veils and occasional dents in the crown can really distract from a hat’s design. Most women do not have the luxury of a professional hat steamer. This is not a problem. You can use a vintage tea kettle, one where the nozzle remains open. You can also use the puffs of steam from your clothing iron. Bear in mind, sometimes the iron can be a bit unwieldy to the inexperienced. To be honest, even a pot of boiling water on the stove top will do, in desperate times. 

Being slow, careful, and patient is key when steaming netting. Gentle encouragement is often all a vintage veil needs while holding above your chosen source of steam. (For heaven’s sake, be careful, dolls! Steam burns are no fun. Trust me, I know). Keep your hands at a comfortable distance. Hold the veil over the steam source, make a fist with your free hand, and going from the underside of the veil, carefully work out the wrinkles with your fist, while you are over the steam. Never pull downward, or tug on a vintage veil. 

For occasional dents in the crown of a felt hat, keep the underside of the hat over the steam source for 15 seconds or less, then gently pop out the dent with your fingers. I suggest you spray it swiftly with a layer of clothing starch afterwards, and let it air dry somewhere safe and relatively dust free.

Odor Removal

Perhaps while your hat was over the steam you caught a whiff of something….is that must? Now you can’t stop smelling it. Or just maybe you went to brunch, and after the mimosas wore off, the smell of bacon remained on your favorite felt or fur hat. What can be done? 

Pour half a box of baking soda into a thin dress sock and tie the ankle in a knot (or you can use the cut off foot of a clean pair of tights). Find a hat box that will accommodate the hat and allow extra space to fill with newspaper (I told you those extra large boxes are handy!) Put the baking soda pouch in the center bottom of the hat box, place the hat over the baking soda sock, so that it’s under the crown. Ball up pages of newspaper around hat, being careful not to squish decorations, like feathers. Put the lid on the hat box and set aside for at least 48 hours. If any odor remains you can leave the hat in the box longer, or set it somewhere secure outside to air out for 6-8 hours, making sure it is out of direct sunlight.

Sweatband Soiling

Most classy women are also the kind of babes that tilt their hat over the right eyebrow. This often results in make-up rubbing itself into the grosgrain ribbon where the forehead hits. To remove these kinds of stains, dilute 1/4 tsp of dish soap into an espresso cup of warm water. You will need a clean makeup sponge. Pull the sweat band away from the felt or straw and hold it out so as not to accidentally get the body of the hat wet. Soak the tip of the makeup sponge in the diluted soap, Squeeze a few drops of the soapy water out onto the soiled area of the sweatband and gently rub with sponge in the direction of the grosgrain. Using the other side of the sponge wet it in plain cool water, scrub in the direction of the grosgrain to remove the suds. Repeat until clean. Take a clean microfiber towel and use it to pinch away any excess dampness so it doesn’t dry with water lines or damage the hat. Sit the hat in a clean warm area to dry, or use your hair blower dryer setting it to cool. 

Thank you for reading. May your hat never be found on the trash pile. 

Long live the hats! 

Best wishes,

Kary Janousek