How to care for your Cowboy Hat

Putting the hat down

• Store your cowboy hat in a cool, dry environment. While they look impressive in the back window of a car, the extensive heat and humidity the hat will be subjected to here can easily damage it by causing it to loose shape
• If you are putting down a wet hat, ensure that it is supported by the crown and the brim does not touch any surface. Otherwise once the hat dries, it is likely a mark will be left on it.
• Never leave your hat in a hot or humid location, nor in direct sunlight as it will shrink or distort in shape.
• Wear your western hat sort of level on your head and about 1/2" above your ears where it feels best. It should fit slightly snug all around your head but not so that it hurts or "gives you a headache".
• To Travel with a hat, some make use of Travel Hat Boxes with Handles. These are solid containers that protect the hat from physical and environmental damage, especially if it's a more expensive hat.

Caring for your hat

• -While putting on or taking off your felt hat, always handle the hat by the front and back of the brim just next to the crown with 4 fingers. This will help keep the crown clean and the shape neat and crisp.
• Do this whenever possible with washed hands, especially with the lighter colors such as Silver belly or Silver Sand.
• Whenever you take off your hat be sure and place it upside down on the crown (top). This step is vital to aid in keeping the brim shape. When placing your hat down remember to place it on a clean area.
• When your hat gets dusty simply dust it off using a hat brush, a small plastic sponge or a whisk broom for the stouter western hat as opposed to a very soft, thin bodied dress hat.
• To protect your hat from the rain, a rain hat cover is good to keep your hat dry. They usually sell for between $3.00 and $5.00. If its a felt hat you're talking about, remember that a really good beaver hat gets better with age. A good old fashioned rain never hurt a quality felt hat!
• If someone were to accidentally open a soft drink or beer and spray your felt hat, take it to a cool water faucet and let the fresh cool water in a small stream glide over the "stained surface" while using the "side end "of your index finger to quickly but softly scratch those areas. Then let the hat dry naturally....do not ever use a hair dryer or any other hot air machine for it can aid in shrinkage.
• The more care that is given to keep your hat dust free will lengthen it's life. The dust and dirt get down in the tiny crevices of the crown and brim and work against the felt and shortens the life of a good hat.

Storage

During long periods when your hat is not worn, it is probably better to store the hat in a hat box where it will be best protected. An alternative is to create a cardboard ring (Take a 7" x 28" strip of Cardboard and staple it together to form a ring that you can lay the hat in).

Store hats in a cool, dry environment. Hats react to heat and moisture with extended exposure potentially causing a hat to lose its shape. Excessive heat can draw out straw hat fibers, and cause permanent damage to both straw and felt. The worst place for a cowboy hat is in the backseat.

Protecting and Cleaning Hats

A good idea is to protect a hat from water damage by a non-silicone based protector. Its great for a felt hat in pouring rain and you may even get it in a hat shop.

Straw hats can be kept clean much longer if they are brushed regularly with a brim brush or an ordinary whisk broom. They can be cleaned using a damp sponge with non-detergent soap and lukewarm water. Then let it dry naturally.

Felt hats should be brushed regularly with a brim brush to remove dust and dirt. Starting on the left side of the hat brush counter clockwise around, brushing the crown and brim in the same direction. On the underside of the brim, brush clockwise.

Sometimes, a hat may lose it's shape due to mishandling, heat or moisture but this can usually be addressed by a professional. They can "reblock" the hat which means the hat is placed in a shaping block and steam it back into the correct shape. For minor reshaping visit your hat or western store and have them steam shape your hat into the desired configuration.

Cowboy Hat Etiquette

What do you do when walking with a friend who passes a woman only your friend knows? Read about Cowboy Hat Etiquette.

Howdee from ol' Rex!