Felt is a unique material that is not washable. During prolonged wear or, conversely, long-term storage in a closet, hats lose their original attractiveness. Felt is one of the easily soiled materials. Therefore, everyone should know how to clean a felt hat at home. Consider the most effective methods.
How to clean a felt hat at home
Felt hats always differed from ordinary hats in their original and bright appearance. However, like regular clothes, they become dirty. Of course, you can pass in dry cleaning. However, you can learn to clean your felt hat yourself. This will save your finances.
It should be understood that felt things cannot be washed. If there are spots, then you must first determine: where could they come from? Only then can the appropriate detergent be selected.
Cleaning felt hats at home begins with dust removal. Using a clothes brush or a vacuum cleaner with a small nozzle, carefully remove dust from the surface of the hat.
A simple mixture also helps. It is necessary to take table salt, ammonia and vinegar. Ratios are easy to remember: 1: 2: 2. This mixture must be wiped on the dirtiest places.
How to clean a felt hat? The methods described below are the most effective:
Method 1. In order to completely remove dust from a felt hat, it is necessary to mix ammonia and vinegar (equal) in equal proportions. Add part of table salt to the resulting mixture (the proportions are indicated above).
Method 2. If there are scuffs on the hat that sparkle, you will need sandpaper. If this is not the case, then the brush and salt will be able to replace it. The problem area must be processed using any of the above items.
Method 3. Many people use another easy method. To do this, mix normal water and ammonia in 1: 1 proportions. In the solution, wet a small piece of coarse cloth and wipe the contaminated area on the hat. Remember that it is not worth wetting a felt hat. She may lose shape.
How to bleach?
How to clean a felt hat if it is white? On light or white things, yellowness appears over time. The hat immediately loses its attractive appearance. In order to permanently get rid of yellow spots, it is necessary to prepare a mixture: hydrogen peroxide - 3 tbsp. l., ammonia - 1 tsp. Dip the brush into the mixture and gently clean the yellow spots.
It happens that yellowness spread to a large area of the hat. In this case, semolina will come to the rescue. You can use ordinary bran. It is necessary to rub the croup from the outside, and from the back - it is good to knock it out. Be sure that after this rescue procedure, the hat will be as if new.
How to remove raindrops?
Rainy weather for a felt hat is not a best friend. Typically, characteristic marks may remain on the product. How to clean a felt hat at home so that the shape does not get lost?
Method 1. Stuff the hat tightly evenly with newspapers. Dry in a dry place, but not very close to a battery or other heating appliance.
Method 2 The following method effectively helps from raindrops: you need to hold the hat over boiling water, and then smooth the pile with a soft brush. You can use a conventional household steamer. However, bringing it too close to the hat is not recommended.
Method 3. Brush the hat with a medium degree of hardness, after wetting it in cool clear water.
This method will not only help get rid of raindrops, but also return the original shine to the hat.
Fighting traces of fat
Traces of fat are the most dangerous that can harm a felt hat. How to clean a felt hat at home? The crust of dried rye bread will help. If such a product was not at home at hand, then you can fill in oily stains with ordinary salt.
With the old spot, which managed to eat into felt, you have to fight the old-fashioned way - refined gasoline. It is necessary to moisten a napkin or rag and gently wet the place of contamination. Caution: do not wet, but get wet. Otherwise, the pile in this place will be caked.
Another effective way to fight against oily stains: refined gasoline and potato starch. The resulting slurry must be applied to oily areas. After drying completely, simply brush off. In case of stain residue, moisten the brush in water with added citric acid (juice).
Color matters
Dark felt felt must be cleaned with a decoction of tobacco: 1 tbsp. l leaves per 1 liter of water. In the formed liquid, moisten a rag and wipe the stains gently. The only drawback is the smell of tobacco. For several days you will have to ventilate the hat.
Light-colored felt products must be cleaned with bran. They must be rubbed into the fabric, and shake from the back, tapping.
Do not use products that are designed to remove stains from white felt on a colored product. The stain remover should match the color of the hat.
Store correctly - use for a long time
Proper storage is the key to long-term wear. An ideal place to store felt products is a cardboard box. It is recommended to fill the hat with paper inside and wrap it in a cloth.
Basic rules for wearing felt hats:
- For a long time, hanging a felt hat on a hook is not worth it. Otherwise, it will simply lose its shape.
- Do not wear felt hats in the rain and snow.
- Wipe with a brush in the direction of the pile, and then pull to dry on a glass jar.
- If the hat has become shabby and has lost its appearance, then steam will help revive youth. After that, you should definitely brush the pile.
If the above methods did not help, then chemical special agents come to the rescue. Stain removers are presented in a large assortment. Read the conditions of use beforehand and be sure to follow them. Remember that according to the state of the headgear, you can immediately assess a person. Therefore, take care of your hats. The main thing is to know how to clean a felt hat at home.