How to Get Sweat Stains Out of Hats

Before you throw on your favorite hat, take a closer look. We’re willing to bet it’s carrying a few (or a lot) of sweat stains. Even though hats see a lot of wear and tear, they’re not always a laundry priority. But it’s time to change that!

If you want gross, sweaty hats to look like new again, we’ve got two proven methods. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide (plus extra tips) on how to get sweat stains out of hats.

Learn how to hand-wash other clothes at home.

The Soak Method

Via @ericagrem/Tiktok (3)

This is a terrific deep-cleaning method if your hats are really grody. Basically, we’re applying laundry stripping to your hats.

Ingredients

• Hot water
• 1 tablespoon Borax
• 1 tablespoon powdered laundry detergent
• 1 tablespoon Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

Editor’s Tip: If you have a lot of hats to wash, you can use the bathtub instead of a sink, like TikTok user @ericagrem. Just make sure to increase the amount of soap to 1/4 cup each. If you don’t have any washing soda, OxiClean is another great option. The recipe is flexible, but we suggest at least two color-safe soap products.

@ericagremstripping my dads sweaty hats 🤮 best thing I’ve done in a while #cleaning #laundrystriping #cleaningtiktok #fyp♬ original sound – Erica Gremminger

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the sink

Fill a sink with hot water, then add the Borax, laundry detergent and washing soda.

Step 2: Soak the hats

Submerge the hats in the water, then agitate to create suds. Let the hats soak—the dirtier the hats, the longer they should sit.

Step 3: Rinse and dry

Rinse in cold water, then gently reshape the hats and set them on a towel to dry.

The Scrub Method

This method is great for cleaning hats that aren’t dirty enough for a full soak, but definitely need a spot treatment. Remember to never pour full-strength hydrogen peroxide directly on a colored hat because it can cause mild bleaching. You can color test a small portion inside of the hat with the peroxide and soap solution to be safe.

Ingredients

• Dawn dish soap
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Scrub brush

Directions

Step 1: Create the cleaning solution

Mix one part Dawn dish soap and two parts hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl.

Step 2: Scrub away the stains

Dip a scrub brush (a dish brush or even a toothbrush works great) in the solution and scrub the stains.

Step 3: Rinse and repeat

Let sit, then rinse in cold water. Repeat until the sweat stains are out of your hat.

Extra Tips for Cleaning Hats

• Vintage hats need to be treated with a little extra care and should be spot-cleaned only. Hats made before about 1983 have cardboard brims instead of the modern plastic brim, and will become misshapen if submerged in water.
• Some hats can be simply thrown in the washing machine with your laundry. This works best for flimsy hats that don’t need to hold a strong structure. You can also get one of these handy hat holders that help hats hold their shape when running through a wash cycle.
• When reshaping your hats after washing, place the cap on top of an upside-down bowl, rolled-up towel or another object that mimics the shape of your head. Learn how to wash baseball caps.