Water and sweat stains

[Stoney]

[huh] Does anyone know of a sure fire way to clean and prevent water or sweat stains in hat ribbons without cleaning the whole hat? I'm assuming Skotchgaurd, or Scout Rain Treatment would protect the outside, but I'm afraid to spray my vinatge felts with that and it seems to solve only the water problem and not the sweat problem. I have some pretty nice old hats with original ribbons, which are stained but otherwise in good condition, and would rather not replace them with modern ribbon.

 

[Uncle Vern]

Just sprinkle a little talcum powder on the stains, brush it in gently, and let it sit a while. Should brush out nice and clean. Rubbing alcohol will also work, especially with the stubborn spots.

 

[Tango Yankee]

Good question, Stoney. I tend to sweat profusely and I've got a couple of vintage hats that have stained ribbons because of it.

Thanks for you suggestions, Uncle Vern! I'll have to give them a try. Gotta go buy some of that talcum powder, first... not something I've ever bought before.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Uncle Vern]

Actually, I've switched to Dr. Scholl's Original Foot Powder, which is a mix of talcum and and a small amount of Salicylic Acid, which helps to brighten and refresh without any negative results.

 

[NonEntity]

The best thing I've found to remove human and garden-variety stains from felt and grosgrain hat bands is liquid car wash. Yes, car wash, because it gets out body oil and is made to be low-sudsing and rinse out easily. My favorite brand is Meguiar's Gold Class. It's also great on automobiles!

Mix a very dilute solution--about a tablespoon to a quart of warm distilled water--then apply it with a clean damp sponge to the affected area which you've already dampened with straight distilled water. Gently work it in, then "rinse" again and again by stroking the area with another, clean, damp sponge. When working on a silk hatband, go in the direction of the striations rather than across them. Let everything air-dry, and you're good to go, but silk will develop a bit of pucker that you may need to steam out or gently iron flat again. It's easier to do if you remove the hat band, because you can get at both sides that way and clean the felt beneath it, but that's not absolutely necessary.

The toughest thing to get out is mildew, a white mold that forms along the edge of where sweat and moisture has remained damp for a good while, like they do in tropical or even in humid temperate climates. That very well may be the problem you have, Stoney.

The above method appears to work in the short run, but the mildew inevitably grows back, and I've yet to find anything that keeps it permanently at bay. To prevent it in the first place, bookbinders use mercurials, like mercuric chloride, but they are highly poisonous, and even the less poisonous, commercially available 0.2% of 8-hydroxy quinoline in carbon tetrachloride is not exactly safe, so I would not recommend either of those on an article of clothing right next to your head.

If anyone knows how to remove and keep mildew from coming back, please let us know here.

As for Scotchguard (and equivalents), I've used it on many items to make them water-and dirt-resistant with no ill effects whatsoever, and it works marvelously. Just remember to apply two light coats instead of one heavy coat, as the latter will often leave a white residue that does no harm but will have to be brushed off for appearance sake. I've never used Scotchguard on a fur felt hat, but I have sprayed it on trench coats and wool felt berets and hats and experienced no problems at all, except that it makes the hand of the material slightly stiffer.

 

[Stoney]

Thanks fellas!

I'm not quite ready to try the car wash soap yet, but I'm keeping an open mind on that one.

I'm stopping to pick up some of that foot powder tonight!
I may even put some on my feet. It can't hurt. lol

 

[Uncle Vern]

Mildew is caused by dampness, an by extension, darkness. Damp and dark is bad, dry and bright is good. I used to buy and sell vintage saxophones. Invariably, many of the cases would be infested with mildew. Old violin cases can present the same problem. We used to call that odor "Gator Breath," usually caused by "riding it hard and putting it away wet." Hats can have the same problems. Let your hat get mildewed and you've got a miniature botanical garden growing over your scalp.

We eventually learned to shoot the cases down with Lysol. It stinks for a few days, but if you have somewhere to leave things out in the hot sun, the Lysol odor vanishes after a few (or several) days and the mildew will be vanquished as long as you keep the hat high and dry. And, Lysol smells a lot better than mildew!

 

[Stoney]

Thanks again Uncle Vern! I'm sure someone here has a hat with mildew.

 

[Socrets]

Is any sort of powder actually necessary for getting rid of sweat stains on ribbons? I've found that dampening the end of a Q-tip and rubbing the stain on both sides of the ribbon has worked for me well. Although, I think I may be slowly fading the black on affected areas. Actually, I think there may be a previous thread on this, somewhere.

Found Some!!

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=20224
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=20337

 

[Spellflower]

I had some stains on my Federation ribbon that I thought were in for good. Then I read a thread on this topic a couple of months back, and someone recommended a damp cloth. That's when I realized I hadn't even tried to get them out. Sure enough, the damp cloth did the job.

 

[Uncle Vern]

It works if the water isn't too alkaline, and if the stains aren't too deep. I've actually seen water leave a stain after I gently wet a ribbon. Also, if the stains are in the hat body as well as the ribbon, water might not be the answer.

 

[NonEntity]

As I said above, use distilled water, because it contains no contaminants and will therefore leave no residue behind when it dries.

Distilled grain is excellent, too, especially in a glass over ice with a splash of soda. It's called whiskey where I'm from. Drink enough of it, and it will leave a residue also. It's called a hangover where I'm from.

 

[Spellflower]

But before the inevitable mark on the brain the next morning, it might just keep you from worrying too much about that mark on your hat.

 

[NonEntity]

Right you are, Spellflower.

There have been times in my younger days when I consumed so much of the the distilled grain substance that I not only forgot about the little stain on my fedora, but also, until I lay my head down, that I even had my hat on!

Uncle Vern,

If you read the fine print on Lysol, it says to not use it on clothing, which would, of course, include hats. There's a reason for that warning, and I, for one, do not want to try it on a mildewed fedora to find out why.

 

[Sweatbandjo]

Right you are, Spellflower.

There have been times in my younger days when I consumed so much of the the distilled grain substance that I not only forgot......

If you read the fine print on Lysol, it says to not use it on clothing, which would, of course, include hats. There's a reason for that warning, and I, for one, do not want to try it on a mildewed fedora to find out why.

If you take a look on the distilled grain bottleelle, youllel fand mush the same fine print... But who gives a damn?

 

[RJR]

As I said above, use distilled water, because it contains no contaminants and will therefore leave no residue behind when it dries.

Distilled grain is excellent, too, especially in a glass over ice with a splash of soda. It's called whiskey where I'm from. Drink enough of it, and it will leave a residue also. It's called a hangover where I'm from.

 

[-30-]

"Does anyone know of a sure fire way to clean and prevent water or sweat stains in hat ribbons without ... "
Stoney.

For water/sweat/salt stains, use White Vinegar -
5% Normal Strength - everyday, Fish & Chip style.
7% Pickling Strength.
10% Cleaning Strength.

Apply with a towel, not a trowel, to the dry area to be cleaned, rubbing lightly,
as you want the solution to dissolve the foreign matter being lifted out.
These solutions also remove salt residue upon leather shoes; allow to dry and Re-condition.
For both of the above, there is no real reason to soak the material; your results may vary.

Regards,
J T