Hats can be a fun and stylish way to style an outfit. It happens that you already have a hat in your wardrobe, but it doesn’t fit your size. Don't be upset, this can be fixed! Don't spend a lot of money on a new hat right now. Instead, try a few less expensive products that will effectively stretch your headwear. If you have straw, fabric, or a baseball cap, you can use a hair dryer and water to expand your hat a little. You can also use a soccer ball and a bicycle tire pump, as well as wooden hat racks and steam. You can try using a balloon and some soapy water to expand your hat in just a few hours. First things first!
Fitting a Straw Hat
If you have a straw hat, you can apply steam to the inside of it. As tempting as it may be to extend your hat even further with pads, don't do it. You may warp, damage the material, or make the hat too big. Turn the handle counterclockwise to remove the hat from the blocks. Once the mechanism has released the hat, remove the headpiece so you can try it on. If you have reached the required level of expansion, then you did everything correctly; if one time was not enough for the desired stretch, then repeat this method again.
Fitting the headgear is quite simple. It is always important to be able to prepare for new circumstances and new situations. Especially when it comes to such an important element of our wardrobe as a hat. Often, your future acquaintances, your mood and, ultimately, your well-being depend on how you look in public. In this article, we looked at how you can stretch a hat at home, without resorting to special tools and specialists. However, if the material does not allow you to cope with the task, it is better not to be zealous, but to turn to professionals for help. After all, it’s better to spend a little time than to lose or damage your hat.
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Why does the hat shrink and how to avoid it
What is the reason for the changes, and what recommendations will help preserve your favorite product:
- Use boiling water when washing. In such a situation, high temperature will contribute to the narrowing of tissue fibers. Therefore, wool hats are washed in water up to 30° C.
- The item deteriorates due to machine washing, even if the required temperature conditions are observed. This is an indication that hats are usually washed by hand.
- Wrong choice of detergent. The active chemical compounds contained in the usual powder destroy the structure of fragile tissues. Therefore, you should opt for liquid preparations for gentle washing.
- An abnormal drying temperature can disrupt the molecular structure of the fibers of the product. Therefore, it is best to dry the product in a natural environment. Batteries and other heating devices are excluded.
- Changes in humidity and temperature conditions harm the headdress. Keeping a hat after winter wear in a room with dry air or in a closet without proper control until the next season causes it to become deformed, decrease in size, and lose its shape. Therefore, storage and ventilation conditions must be observed. When purchasing, you must obtain the seller's recommendations on operating rules.
But if it happens that your favorite item has decreased in size, stretching a hat at home is quite possible, you just need to choose the appropriate method and take precautions.
Steam softening
Actions are performed according to the following algorithm:
- Heat water in a saucepan or kettle to 100° C.
- Impregnate the cap with steam. This will take five minutes.
- Pull the wet object onto the balloon or blank for the cap.
- Place the entire structure in an unlit place for 2–4 days.
Fur hats are also stored in a bottle in the dark. Or they fill the inside of the cap with paper or newspapers. No packaging required. You can stretch a fur hat at home using another method.
When should you turn to professionals?
You need to seek professional help either when no method has helped, or immediately, even before the start of all manipulations. This is up to the owner of the cap to decide.
In the salons where hats are sewn, there are special electric blanks and chemical compositions for stretching . The blanks change size, adjusting to the desired size. If you are determined to resort to the services of specialized salons, then be sure that in a couple of days you will receive the hat back in its original condition.
How to store a hat so it doesn't get deformed
To avoid deformation and shrinkage of the hat in the future, it is important to take care of its proper storage.
Firstly, you need to purchase a special hanger for hats or simply prepare a three-liter jar on which the hat will be stored. Upon returning home from the street, the hat should be carefully shaken off snow and rain each time. After which the headdress is placed on a hanger until completely dry.
Under no circumstances should you dry fur items with a hairdryer or near a radiator.
Before hiding a fur hat for long-term storage, it should be cleaned of dust and dirt, dried well, stuffed with clean paper, wrapped in natural fabric and do not forget to protect the fur from moths. It is important to air the hat periodically throughout the year.
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Leather hat
Leather and suede hats and caps stretch very poorly, but using steam softening, which is described above, you can achieve success. You can slightly modify the method if you first rinse the leather hat in water adding 2 tbsp. l. vinegar and 3 tbsp. l. 30% peroxide. And after a gentle push-up, pull the item onto the container or saucepan. Then dry at a constant temperature in the living room.
Do not forget to read the manufacturer's recommendations before the procedure.
How to properly clean a leather cap
To prevent the cap from shrinking or becoming deformed, it is important to choose the right product and organize proper care for this headdress. Before purchasing, carefully measure the circumference of the cap and compare it with the circumference of your head. Before long-term storage, clean the outside of the leather cap or hat with a damp sponge or cloth soaked in soapy water. Then wipe the surface with a cloth soaked in clean water and wipe dry.
To clean the fur inside a hat, take cornmeal and baking soda in approximately equal proportions and mix. This product will disinfect the lining, eliminate unpleasant odors and restore its former attractive appearance. Apply the prepared powder to the fur, leave for ten minutes, and remove the remaining residue with a soft brush. You can also use a soap solution to clean the lining.
If the skin is heavily soiled, treat the affected areas with a solution of ammonia. To do this, mix a glass of water and a tablespoon of ammonia, wipe the cap with the resulting mixture. If the leather has become dull and has lost its former color, shine and gloss, wipe the surface with fresh orange peel or lemon juice. Do not use gasoline or acetone, or aggressive agents, for cleaning!
To clean dark colored leather, you can take damp coffee grounds, wrap them in wool or flannel cloth and polish the cap. For light and white products, use milk. After treatment, be sure to remove the product with a dry soft cloth. For more information on which caps can be washed and how to do it correctly, read the article “How to wash a baseball cap.”
How to stretch a wool hat?
Fur is not the only material from which a hat can be made. Hats are also made from wool. And some people prefer this fabric for financial or taste reasons. Despite all the luxury, there are people in the world who are indifferent to fur. So how do you stretch a wool hat?
Lightly wet the top and neck of a three-liter jar with cold or cool water. Pull the hat over the neck. Secure the hat in place so that it does not come off, using clothespins, for example. Wait for the hat to dry. If the first method does not bring the desired result, try washing it with cool water (no more than 30 degrees Celsius) with the addition of vinegar (a tablespoon is enough for a small basin). Then take the jar again and put a cap on its neck. Wait for it to dry. If the previous method did not help, the last resort remains - hot steam. You need to act like this: take the iron and, without touching the fabric, release the steam, not forgetting to pull the hat in all directions. To reduce the effects of heat, use gauze.
If the item does not shrink too much, then the question of how to stretch a woolen hat is by no means idle.
How to dry and store a leather cap
Items should only be dried on a blank or other object that fits the size of the headdress, otherwise the latter will stretch! Leather and fur caps are dried at room temperature under natural conditions, away from batteries, electrical appliances and sunlight! Otherwise, the item will also run true to size. Do not remove the garment from the blank until it is completely dry.
After the cap has dried, treat the surface with special leather care products. Creams, sprays and aerosols for leather shoes are suitable. Store your cap on an upside down jar or similar stand. Leave the product in a dark place with good ventilation, a closed closet works well, but do not put the hat in a plastic bag!
If your hat has a fur lining, place moth repellent nearby. Bags with the aroma of lavender, oregano, mint and wormwood or fresh orange peels work well. During long-term seasonal storage, periodically remove the cap and ventilate in natural conditions. How to properly store things, see the link.
Methods of stretching at home
To restore the size of your headdress at home, there are 3 ways:
- mechanical stretching;
- influence of high temperatures and moisture;
- a complex technique that includes elements of the first two.
There are a variety of methods for stretching caps. Each of them is quite simple and does not require complex preparations or expensive investments.
Universal ways to stretch a cap:
- Before stretching a leather baseball cap at home, select an item of appropriate size to which you want to stretch the product. It is a pan, a jar, a ball or any other hard round object.
- You need to hold the baseball cap over steam or boiling water so that it is properly steamed. Next, the headdress is pulled over the prepared item and left to dry at room temperature.
- Before putting the cap on an object and stretching it, it can be rinsed in chilled water with temperatures up to 40 degrees. Add 3-4 tbsp to the water in advance. l. hydrogen peroxide 30%. The headdress is rinsed in the prepared composition, lightly wrung out and put on a round and hard piece.
- Another stretching technique is to use vinegar. For these purposes, warm water is mixed with 2 tbsp. l. table vinegar, where the baseball cap is slightly wetted. Next, it is put on the prepared jar or other object. Leave until completely dry in a thoroughly ventilated area to eliminate the unpleasant aroma.
- The baseball cap is steamed using an iron with a steam function. For these purposes, the iron is held at a distance of 20 cm and during the procedure the product is stretched in the desired direction. However, care should be taken to prevent burns. At the end of processing, the baseball cap is pulled onto the blank.
- The material of the product may be slightly ironed. For these purposes, the headdress is placed on an ironing board and covered with wet gauze or cotton cloth. The cap is carefully ironed and stretched in the desired direction. At the end it is pulled onto a jar, ball or pan.
Leather
Leather is a delicate and capricious material that deforms during active interaction with moisture. If the storage rules are not properly followed, it easily becomes wrinkled, and if used improperly, it is erased. To prevent such consequences, proper care of leather caps is required. There are other stretching techniques, but in the end they must return to the jar we are familiar with.
Using a steamer:
- the device is placed at a distance of 15–20 cm from the headdress;
- processed with steam, the material is somewhat stretched;
- the jar is then used to dry the product.
Ironing with an iron:
- take cotton fabric and moisten it;
- the cap is laid out on the board;
- carefully iron the areas that need to be stretched through the damp flap, pulling them in the required direction (the iron should operate at the minimum setting);
- Place the baseball cap on a jar or pan until it dries completely.
By steam:
- heat the cap over steam, steam it, hold it for 5 minutes;
- put on the blank for drying.
All methods require caution so as not to spoil the appearance of the product or cause burns to yourself. You need to be extremely careful and follow safety rules.
From fabric
The methods recommended for leather caps can also be applied to fabric. However, there are others that are designed to change the arrangement of the fibers, adding mobility to them for subsequent changes in size.
With hydrogen peroxide:
- water at room temperature is drawn into the basin;
- add 4 tbsp. l. facilities;
- a baseball cap is rinsed and wrung out;
- goes to dry.
Using vinegar:
- dissolve 2 tbsp in warm water. l. facilities;
- Parts of the cap where exposure is needed are slightly moistened;
- The headdress is placed on the blank.
Precautions when handling woolen items
Not only the hats are reduced in size, but also the ones made from wool. Therefore, we will mention the general rules for washing woolen items.
Wool has a capricious character. It is better if the housewife washes it separately, without mixing it with other fabrics. As can be seen from the above methods for stretching a hat, wool does not like hot weather. It is better to wash it in cool water. If the housewife prefers to both wash and rinse, then the water temperature should be the same in both cases. Discrepancies are detrimental to the fabric. The temperature “setting” for wool is very delicate: the water should be no lower than 20 and no higher than 30 degrees. If higher, the tissue will shrink, and if lower, it will become stiff. The preferred method of cleaning fur is hand washing, but if this is not possible or you are too lazy, then you should carefully choose the washing machine mode. Use a delicate wash that does not wring, because any kind of twisting is detrimental to wool. is not suitable in this case, special means are used. The wool should be dried either on a hanger or on a terry towel (if you don’t have a terry towel, a regular one will do). Under no circumstances should you throw a woolen item over a rope like laundry; such handling will create creases that damage the fabric.
30 January 2014, 17:08
Leather and fur products tend to dry out over time. This happens with shoes, jackets and hats. Let's find out how to stretch a fur hat if it becomes too small after a year. It will also be useful to learn how to store a hat so that it does not change sizes.
Why does the cap shrink?
A cap purchased according to size, once wet, requires proper drying. It dries naturally without direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation and away from heating devices.
In order for the shape and size to remain the same, it is necessary to stuff the headdress tightly with crumpled newspaper and change it during the moistening process. In addition, it is possible, as an option, to stretch the product onto a blank and leave it until dry. It is necessary to ensure that the cap does not succumb to deformation. Improper adherence to storage rules can lead to changes in size and shape.
How to straighten a baseball cap? Step-by-step instruction
Do you want your old baseball cap to take on a fresh, trendy and urban character ? Are you wondering how to update your cap, how to straighten the visor so that it looks like the one on the iconic American-style baseball caps? Nothing could be easier! Simply place the cap on a towel on a flat surface, preferably a table or ironing board, near an electrical outlet. Spray water on the visor, then fold the towel so that it evenly covers the headpiece. Now take the iron (set the temperature to high in advance) and gently iron the visor until it is flat. Leave the cap to dry completely and you're done! Additionally, you can leave the product in the freezer overnight - this will allow the material to harden and the effect will last longer.
