Do you want your custom baseball cap to remain in great shape? If yes, you are not alone. You see, there are a lot of people like you who have awesome caps but don’t really know how to maintain them.

Because of this they often end up making laughable mistakes that may sometimes result in serious damage while cleaning and storing their cap.

A general problem with baseball caps is that, if they are damaged, it is very difficult to revive them. So, the focus of this article is to arm you with five tried and tested tips that will help keep your custom or regular cap in great shape.

Before we dive right into that, you need to keep in mind that all baseball cap suppliers or manufacturers aren’t the same. While some use high-end fabrics to make their caps others settle for average or even low-quality fabrics.

Of course, you have the complete freedom to order your custom baseball cap from any manufacturer, but if you want your custom cap to remain in great shape for years and years to come, it is wise you only buy from a reputable custom baseball cap supplier. You won’t regret it.

1. Study the label

Knowledge indeed is power. You see, knowing what material your custom cap is made of, will go a long way in helping you maintain it. Gone are the days when people have to rack and cudgel their brain trying to figure out whether their cap is made of cotton or wool.

With the help of the explicit label or tag that comes with most custom caps, anyone can easily know what material their cap is made of and the best ways to take care of them.

Another important thing about the tags is that they show whether a cap needs special care or not. That being said, the first thing you should do after buying your custom cap is to study its label. If your baseball cap does have a tag, then you should do the following.

• Consult a specialist

If there is a cap manufacturer or a custom cap supplier close to where you live, then you should make plans to visit them in person.

Since they know a lot about fabrics, they may be able to help you figure out what material your cap is made of. Even more, they may give you tips on how to take care of it.

• Take your best guess

Feel the texture of the fabric your cap is made of and try to figure out whether it is wool or cotton. (This should be a last resort).

2. Wash it properly

Hats aren’t clothes that you can throw in a washing machine to remove stains. Because of their complex structure, they need to be handled with extreme care, especially when they are being washed. Below are some things you should keep in mind when washing your custom cap.

• Avoid products with bleach in them

Not all detergents on the market are suitable for washing caps. While some are mild, others contain bleach and other tough chemicals that may ruin the colour of a cap. So, before using a detergent, check it carefully if it has bleach and other tough chemicals.

• Don’t use a dishwasher to wash your cap

A lot of people have the notion that dishwashers are the best alternative for washing baseball caps. But that is far from the truth as they sometimes do serious damage to the fabric of a cap. Even more, the washing and drying detergent they use contain bleach.

• Don’t soak your cap in water for too long

Resist the urge to submerge your custom cap in water even if it is dirty. The obvious reason for this is that it can ruin its shape.

3. Learn to spot clean it

Washing your entire cap just because a small portion of it is dirty is by no means a good idea and for good reason. You see, each time you wash your cap its colour fades. To prevent this, you have to learn how to spot clean it.

• How to spot clean a baseball cap

Items you will need ;

• A soft brush (you can use a toothbrush as an alternative)
• Stain removing spray products like OxiClean (you can use a bleach-free detergent as an alternative)

Step 1

• Examine the cap

(The goal here is to pin-point all the stained areas).

Step 2

• Spay the affected areas with a high-quality stain removing spray and follow the instructions on the bottle. If you don’t have one, then you should use a soft brush to gently apply a bleach-free detergent and water solution on the stained area.

Step 3

• Rinse the area with water and let it dry. Don’t put it in a dryer or under the sun to speed up the drying process.

Important note

• Try to be gentle when spot cleaning your custom cap, as applying too much force may mar the artwork or ruin the stitching on the cap.

4. Never use a dryer

As previously mentioned, a cap is nothing like regular clothes that will still look great even if you throw them in a washing machine and dryer. Caps are somewhat more delicate than regular clothes. Because of this, they need to be handled with extreme care.

Here is the right way to dry a cap;

• Remove excess moisture

• The safest way to get rid of excess moisture without ruining the shape of your cap is to use a towel. The goal here isn’t to remove every drop of water from it, but to prevent it from dripping water everywhere.

• Place it in a great place to air dry

• Do you know that the area you place your cap while it dries can affect its shape? What this means is that just putting it on the counter isn’t enough.

To ensure that the cap’s shape stays true, you have to place it on a mannequin head. If you don’t have one, you can use a coffee jar, a balled-up towel or a canister as an alternative.

How to speed things up

A great way to speed up the drying process without altering the integrity of the cap is to use a fan, preferably a small one to blow air into it.

5. Store it properly

Just like clothes, hats have to be stored properly to remain in great shape. Hanging them on a hook or peg is a costly mistake that can potentially ruin your cap for good. The problem with hooks, especially the pointed ones is that they apply too much downward pressure on the cap.

The best place to store a cap is on a cap stand, a hat tac or a cap storage rag. You can get any of these online or at a custom baseball cap supplier shop in your area.