A felt cowboy hat is not exactly cheap. So it is worth your while to take good care of it. If you take good care of it, it will not only last you longer but it will look every bit as good as it did when you bought it!
Proper care begins with prevention. If the hat doesn’t require cleaning or repair, that much remedial care is also avoided. The cardinal rule is: Don’t let the hat get dirty! One very simple way to keep the hat from getting dirty is: wash your hands before handling the hat. Cleaning a felt hat is very difficult, and leads to material damage.
Another thing to bear in mind to prevent the hat from getting all messed up is to handle the hat only by the brim, back and front. Resist the temptation to hold it by the crown. Using the brim to pick up the hat or to position it on your head will help to keep the hat in good shape too. An out-of-shape hat will say the same thing about you.
The hat will of course get a little dirty from normal wear. But what about when you’re not using it? Do you store the hat away? Do you know the proper way to store a felt cowboy hat? The proper way to store the hat is upside down in its own hat box. This way, your hat will neither get dirty nor out of shape. Lacking a hat box, you may hang the hat on a hat stand, and cover it.
Protect the hat from strong heat sources. That means you don’t leave the hat near the radiator or the furnace. Doing so will shrink the sweat band and that means you’ll not be able to get the hat to fit you again!
Don’t let the hat get wet. If by chance it does get wet, then dry it out very carefully! You may have to reshape the brim. Let it dry naturally. Turn the sweat band inside out. Then rest the hat on the sweat band. When the hat dries out, reshape the sweat band and the rest of the hat into its original form.
If you get caught in a chance drizzle and the hat gets wet, it won’t matter much, but don’t let that happen too often. If you expect to be out in the rain often, then you’ll be wise to buy a hat cover. Use the hat cover whenever you’re going out and there is a sign of rain. It will add another year to your hat’s life.
Your felt cowboy hat has a tendency to lose shape real fast and get dirty just as quickly. If you follow these tips, your hat will remain in prime condition for a great many years. Maybe your felt cowboy hat may turn into a real heirloom, yet!