Cleaning spots, stains and soiling from felt hats

[LuvMyMan]

I unknowingly cut my finger several days ago while wearing a light colored beaver felt hat and got a couple of spots of blood on the hat while handling it before I realized I had a cut. Without having water or a clean cloth, I made a "field" repair by applying saliva to the blood spots with a finger tip, then scratching the stain off with my fingernail. The saliva eventually dried, leaving a very light brown stain, probably from spreading some remaining blood. After the spots dried, I used a piece of 400 grit sandpaper to lightly scuff the spots, which almost completely disappeared.

A couple of observations:

The blood wasn't completely dry, so I had a better chance of getting it out.

Although saliva is primarily for dissolving dietary starches and fats at the beginning of the digestive process, it probably played a role in since blood plasma is a sugar/fat/protein compound.

I have used fine sandpaper to remove surface stains on hats with some success. If the stain is not too deep a light sanding will sometimes take it out. The key is not to sand too hard or for too long, or else you can create other problems. A couple of light scuffs is all I give it. The method also works better on lighter colored hats that are relatively clean. Otherwise you wind up scuffing off a layer of dirty felt and leaving a light spot.

I was instructed by a Hatter to do that on the Ivory hat I purchased for my Husband, but so far have not had to do that. Hat sponge and brush has kept it fairly super clean. I have here now maybe 10 hat sponges, rotate using them each when cleaning a hat, then soap and water the sponges and rinse and squeeze them out to dry faster. Hat sponges can pull a lot of light staining out of a hat real easy.

 

[LuvMyMan]

Thanks for the help. Good ideas. This blood spot is just one 1/4" sized drop, dabbed off with cold water/cotton cloth while wet, no deep/aged penetration, but left a stain. Only happened last Monday, so still semi "fresh" but now dry.

On blood on a hat body, I would try a very hard ice cube rub it on the felt body then blot with a super clean white dry wash clothe. It should work if you do that a few times until the blood is gone. Cold water from the ice cube seems to remove blood fairly well...I have done this on other materials and cannot see why it would not work on a hat?!?

 

[stratcat]

I frequently come across mystery stained military clothing in my hunt for military stuff in general. I use an airbrush cleaner by Media. it is intended for soaking an airbrush for about 24 hours before cleaning, breaks down acrylic paint into a jelly like substance that is easily cleaned. This stuff works great on just about anything. Black grease from cars, blood, pizza grease on a shirt, I use it all the time. Being an airbrush painter I've got a bottle full ready to just treat any stain as it happens but it is worth the trouble of seeking out at the art store to have around the house. Simply give a soak for about a day and then wash in the washing machine. It has never discolored or bleached anything.

Also, depending on how far you wanna take the solvent thing, you can purchase a cheap compressor and airbrush for about a hundo and use it as your own dry cleaner, very similar to professional equipment. It's another method I use after spot treatments of solvents like lacquer thinner or alcohol, maybe even some of the solvents mentioned back in this thread. But what's happening is the force of the spray from the airbrushed solvent is pushing the stain out through the other side as opposed to diluting and spreading it into a material. This is where the water mark looking stain happens. You simply back whatever you are cleaning with a white rag and blast through the stain with the airbrush. Works wonders.

A genius top tip!

 

[WesternHatWearer]

Scout's granular spot remover, distributed by M&F Western. I know the western place I work at has some. We use it in very rare cases; and I mean very rare cases.

 

[Frunobulax]

OK, just found a nice Resistol for a great price. It's in really nice condition, except, there is a pretty nice size area of verdigris that has migrated into the felt. Looking around, I've seen suggestions for white vinegar, baking soda solution, and naphtha. I took a chance that I'll at least be able to minimize the stain, if not eliminate it, and went ahead and bought it.

Any suggestions before I dive in and hope for the best?

Thanks in advance!

 

[cwboy1]

Howdy Y'al
Most likely already spoken about in this forum somewhere but was wondering what can be done about wet felt stains. Was wearing my oilskin coat with wool collar. Wool collar was pulled up high just underneath the brim of my stetson hat. Never noticed until sometime later but the felt under the back side of the stetson got hard or discolored due to the fact that my collar on the coat must have gotten wet by rain or snow. The stetson is a white/beige color and now it looks like water was spilt on the hat. Guess it has dried but there is a hard like stain there now. From underneath the brim it has premeated threw the opposite side or top of the brim at the back of the hat looking faded and spotty. Since it has been this way for awhile now I'm not sure if anything can be done at this point. Any input of feedback would be greatly appreciated if anything could be done at this stage!

Thanks y'al

 

[Gayla]

I purchased a lovely vintage hat that I want to wear to an event this evening. Are there suggestions for how to clean it? The netting is a mess and will probably need to be replaced as well. Any assistance is appreciated.

 

[Frunobulax]

What material is it made of?

 

[Gayla]

Felt.

 

[Gayla]

Satin rib trim.

 

[Frunobulax]

I'm assuming you mean fur felt and not wool felt? There are several threads on here on cleaning men's fur felt hats. Advice that encompasses many techniques, from steam to Woolite to petroleum naphtha. Some would require some deconstruction of the hat, perhaps.

Not knowing the nature of the dirt, or if there is staining, or the origin of the stains (if present), I wouldn't want to hazard a guess. But if it's fur felt, a steam and brush may do wonders. However, before doing anything, please read through some of the cleaning threads linked here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/links-to-important-hat-forum-threads.52584/

 

[RJR]

I'm assuming you mean fur felt and not wool felt? There are several threads on here on cleaning men's fur felt hats. Advice that encompasses many techniques, from steam to Woolite to petroleum naphtha. Some would require some deconstruction of the hat, perhaps.

Not knowing the nature of the dirt, or if there is staining, or the origin of the stains (if present), I wouldn't want to hazard a guess. But if it's fur felt, a steam and brush may do wonders. However, before doing anything, please read through some of the cleaning threads linked here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/links-to-important-hat-forum-threads.52584/

I agree with the above.I will say that a good brushing can work wonders.

 

[Frunobulax]

I agree with the above.I will say that a good brushing can work wonders.

Going over it with some tape to remove dust and debris is a good first step, as well.

 

[Captain O]

I have a Caribou-colored Stetson Saxon that has two stains from Grecian Formula 16 (my error). Is there any way I can remove it, or must I take it to a hatter to have it done? (Hydrogen Peroxide does not work).

 

[TheDane]

Hair-dye is made to do the same job as the dye used for hat felt. I'm not sure, but I doubt a hatter would be able to remove the stains.

 

[Captain O]

Hair-dye is made to do the same job as the dye used for hat felt. I'm not sure, but I doubt a hatter would be able to remove the stains.

Grecian Formula 16 isn't a hair dye. It is Lead Acetate in an aqueous solution. It isn't the same.

 

[Frunobulax]

Grecian Formula 16 isn't a hair dye. It is Lead Acetate in an aqueous solution. It isn't the same.

It's not just lead acetate and water. Lead acetate is the fixative, helping the other active ingredients work. So Ole is probably correct. Just as GF 16 "dyes" your hair, you have likely dyed your hat.

Even so, I'd consult with a dry cleaner. They may be able to help.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[nickwellings]

So I went on a...date...sort of coffee/meeting thing with a girl (tempted to say a "dame") and she said how she liked my hat.

Hat's nothing special, a ZENIT Gentleman fur felt which has shed many a raindrop for me and kept my head warm on many a night. I gave it to her to have a look at, said she could try it on etc.

Well, fast forward a few days and ZOINKS! I notice a smidgen of a lipstick stain on the crown. Enough to notice...

How can I get it out? I don't have recourse to Naptha (I'm in the UK) and I also am reluctant to use lighter fluid (tried it to cleanup a satin brim-band and it made it look odd, a bit worse.)

The perils of being a snappy dresser, right?

 

[Bob Roberts]

We often call them "broads" in the States.

 

[nickwellings]

Noted!