How to Clean a Felt Hat?

Dusting: The Right Brush for the Right Felt

No matter what fiber it is made of, felt is a material that attracts and traps dust. It can be very difficult to dislodge if the wrong brush is used. Luckily, we have some recommendations here that will make it easy to dust off your felt hats at home!

Dusting Wool Felts

Wool felt hats are the easiest to dust. For hair and long pet hair, we recommend using a self-adhesive clothes roller to loosen the coarser dirt. For dust, which is more difficult to remove, we recommend that you use a lint brush, sometimes called a “wool brush” or “magic brush”.

These velour-finish brushes, which only work in one direction, are ideal for removing stubborn dirt trapped in wool felt. The lint brush and the sticker roller are widespread and can easily be found in grocery stores or drugstores.

Dusting Fur Felts

Fur felt is, on the other hand, more particular. You can of course use the sticker roller to remove hair and pet hair. However, for dusting, it is important to use a hat brush with horsehair bristles.

Both the Resistol brush and the Stetson brush are made with a wooden handle and horsehair bristles. Their curved end is not an aesthetic whim: it serves as a visual reminder that all fur felts should be brushed counter-clockwise.

Starting from the top of the crown, brush each surface of the hat for the first time, describing small vigorous strokes to dislodge the encrusted dust. Repeat as needed.

For finishing, rub the brush on a cloth to remove dust. Then brush in long, delicate, continuous strokes to even out the texture of the felt. For a glossy finish, apply a cloud of steam using a kettle or a steamer.

How to Clean Wool Felts and Fur Felts?

As a general rule, we recommend that you clean small stains in isolation. Use a brush dipped in cold water to soak the stained area. Then use cold soapy water (mild soap) and then go over the stain. Then brush with cold water to rinse it. Repeat as needed.

To clean your hat thoroughly, we recommend that you first remove the liner. On the front line of sweat exposure, she may need to soak in a bowl of soapy water for a few hours. The hat, meanwhile, will also need to be soaked for at least 8 hours in warm soapy water. After soaking, rub the felt vigorously with a brush and soapy water, and rinse with plenty of water while continuing to brush. Let your felt hat dry at room temperature, away from windows and heat sources. This process can last from a few hours to a few days.

Caution: Deep cleaning a hat undoes the shape of the hat. It is therefore important to consider blocking to restore its shape. You can always entrust this crucial step to our team of hat experts by asking about our cleaning/reblocking service at Henri Henri, the oldest hat shop in Canada!