How do I store my felt hat once the winter season is over?
With the arrival of spring, it's time to change your wardrobe and start taking out your summer hats and putting away your winter ones. But to do so, you need to follow a series of tips and recommendations. Do you know the special features of fur felt hats? How should you care for them? How should you maintain them? What should you do and shouldn't do to keep your winter hat always in top condition? What precautions should you take? How can you extend the life of that unique hat you hold so dear?
At Sombrerería Mil, we want to give you some tips so that that hat you were given, inherited, or acquired out of pure love stays in perfect condition for a long time and always looks like new.
First of all, you should know that fur felt is one of the most commonly used materials for making winter or mid-season hats, which are considered to be of high quality. Thanks to their fibers, fur felt hats provide great warmth, waterproofing, durability, and sun protection. Furthermore, there are different types of fur felt, such as rabbit, hare, or beaver fur, each offering a different quality and characteristics.
Fur felt has the unique feature that it is not woven like a fabric, but rather its fibers are conglomerated by steam and pressure, thus obtaining one of the most resistant and durable materials in existence.
1.- Brush your hat regularly
If you want your fur felt hat to look like new, it's important to brush it often to prevent particles from accumulating and sticking, which can age and deteriorate the hat. When brushing, it's very important to always brush counterclockwise, that is, following the direction of the hairs, starting at the brim and making circles as you approach the center of the crown.
2.- Use a suitable brush
There are different types of brushes Specific brushes for hat care and maintenance. Use a curved brush specially designed for hat care. This will make the task much easier and allow you to achieve magnificent results. Also, if you have several felt hats, it's important to use two different brushes: one for light-colored felt hats and one for dark-colored felt hats. This way, the light-colored hairs will never mix with the dark-colored hairs.
3.- Eliminates body odors
Fur felt hats can't be hand-washed, let alone put them in the washing machine! Use the steam from an iron to eliminate body odor. To do this, hold the hot iron a foot away from the hat and apply steam to the inside and outside of the hat using small circular motions with your hand. The calcium from sweat and accumulated unpleasant odors, especially in the sweatband area, will be eliminated through perspiration. Try it! You'll be amazed!
4.- Never leave your hat on a direct heat source.
A very common mistake is coming home with a wet hat after being caught in a storm outside and drying it over a radiator, heater, or other heat source because it's your favorite hat and you want to repeat the look the next day. Be patient, dry it naturally in a well-ventilated area, and use a different one the next day. Never place your hats near direct heat sources; this can damage the manufacturing materials and cause them to warp, rendering them completely unusable.
5.-Use a hat box to store it
With the arrival of the heat, the first spring flowers and once the winter season is over, use a milliner Specially designed to allow the hat to have its space and lie flat. Make sure there are no objects around it pressing on it and that the brim is in the correct position. Constant pressure or poor positioning over prolonged periods can deform the brim and crown. Don't get an unpleasant surprise next season and store it in the best possible condition! Finally, add a moisture-trapping bag inside the box so the hat doesn't get excessively damp during disuse. You can use the same hat box to store both winter and summer hats and swap them out during the changing of seasons. Long live your hats!
We hope these tips are very useful. Remember that at Sombrerería Mil we have Our own artisan workshop, where we can clean or restore that hat you love so much. Always follow the washing and care instructions provided by each manufacturer. If you have any questions, please contact our specialist team at Sombrerería Mil. We'll be happy to advise you!
