How to clean straw hats?

Straw hats are extremely beautiful and there is no doubt with respect to that. They are highly functional and effective in doing their job. However, they are extremely hard to clean. The following can help you in cleaning your straw hats, thereby making it last quite long. A good soapy wash can help you cleaning your favorite straw hat very easily.

Check the straw

The very first point to keep in mind is that any straw like shantung or baku can accept water and hence can be easily washed.

Remove any floral elements, wires, decorative pieces and ribbons from the hat. Use only lukewarm soapsuds and a cloth to rub the straw.

Rinse in lukewarm water

Use the cloth to rub the straw hat. Make sure that the cloth has been wrung out after dipping it in warm out.

Re-block the straws while they are still wet

Place the straw hat over a shape that looks similar to that of the hat shape or over a hat block. Apply a straw sizing coat, after drying the hat. The sizing should be of the same color of the hat, if the straw of the hat is colored. This will also help in renewing the straw that is faded. As an alternative, steam can also used to shape up the misshapen hat. Steam from the kettle can also be used by placing it over the hat to reshape it.

If you wish, dye the straw

Different dyes of another color can be used to change the color of the straw hat. Same color dye can be used to just restore the hat to the same color.

Place back the decorative elements

By doing so, the straw hat will look as good as the new one