Talcum powder and baby soft velvet felt

[PabloElFlamenco]

Every once in a while I put the kettle on the gas range, get out my hat cleaning sponge (this time the "light" one, as opposed to the one marked "dark") and give one or two of my hats a counterclockwise rubbin'.

And, as of late, I invariably sprinkle some talcum powder, specifically here, "Johnson's baby powder", over the felt surfaces, gently scrubbing it "away" with the sponge.

After that treatment, the hat smells -er- divine. And the felt feels velvety soft, the silverbelly looks lighter, cleaner.
Am I making this up? A form of unconscious deceipt?
Do any board members have any such similar impressions about the use of talcum on hats?
On another level: is there anything against periodical talcum on felt?
Thanks for your opinions. No need to spare my feelings
Paul

 

[cookie]

The talc is probably acting as a mild abrasive scrub...it is the stone with the lowest hardness on the Moh scale ..right?[huh]

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The talc is probably acting as a mild abrasive scrub...it is the stone with the lowest hardness on the Moh scale ..right?[huh]

dont know the name of the scale, but i do remember it being the softest on the whatever-the-name-is scale...

 

[tonyb]

Might it also be that the talc is absorbing some of the oilier soiling in the felt, for the sponging action to carry away?

Just speculatin', you know.

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

Thanks guys; I wasn't aware of talcum being on that hardness scale for "stone", but I don't doubt that is correct...
Tony B, to me it seems the hats are not "soiled" when I scrub them: I do it every few weeks, as a "general brushing up" and, quite frankly, I don't think there is much in the way of "oily soiling" of the hats...but of course there always is a little bit of that, always. I guess I would compare it with a shampooing and then combing of one's hair. And the talcum acts a bit like "dry shampoo".

What I was wondering is whether there are any negative side-effects. Arguably, some degree of slight "wear"; I might be scrubbing away some minute amounts of felt, like a good detailing (waxing) of car paint takes away an infinite micron of paint...

 

[kiltie]

I posted something like this a few weeks ago in another thread. My experience been that it does tend to at least dull the appearance of sweat stains. I've got an old "natural" colored Open Road clone that had seen some actual cowboyin' ( by it's original owner ) back in it's day. I put a truck load of baby powder on it, as per the recommendation of my neighbor. She said it's the first thing she puts on any oily stain, as the powder wicks up the oils. I left the powder on over night, and sure enough: not only did I get the pleasant feel and smell after brushing as described in the original post, but the stains did appear to lessen considerably.
Obviously, with a silverbelly or natural, some of the magic is the baby powder is simply covering the spot up, but hey....still looks better.

 

[tinmanzzz]

Power away

Most light colored Western Hats come powered. it makes them seem whiter.
I have used Talcum but prefer corn Starch

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I remembered some health issues with talcum powder, so I did a quick check on Wikipedia. Here's a quote worth noting.

Safety
Several studies have established preliminary links between talc and pulmonary issues,[2] lung cancer,[3][4] skin cancer and ovarian cancer.[5] This is a major concern considering talc's widespread commercial and household use. In 1993, a US National Toxicology Program report found that cosmetic grade talc caused tumours in animals, even though it contained no asbestos-like fibres.[3] Scientists have been aware of the toxicity of talc since the late 1960s, and in 1971 researchers found particles of talc embedded in 75 percent of the ovarian tumors studied.[6] However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers non-asbestiform talc, that is talc which does not contain potentially carcinogenic asbestiform amphibole fibers, to be Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in cosmetics. [7]

 

[Rick Blaine]

My father in law, a real cowboy-type from the high plains of Alberta, always wore a Stetson OR, silverbelly, in the cattleman's crease. He used to, every so often, put about a quarter-cup of cornmeal in a plastic bag & shake it so it primarily came into contact with the hats' exterior, crown & upper brim. He swears by this method. [huh]

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

Mr. Marcus: Oops...swallow...think, think, think..(thank you)
Rick Blaine: is this the solution, then?