To a lot of people, beanies are the staple style during winter. You not only get warmth but also a chance to look trendy and stylish. Speaking of which, we prepared some handy tips on how to wear a beanie and look stylish. But you may be asking about how to wash your beanies.
Yes, your beanies should be washed. They are exposed to grime from your sweat, makeup, and any other products you use on your hair. If you are not careful, your hat can get gross and be the cause of infections.
You did a good thing finding this article. Or did it find you first? Whichever the case, you are in the right place now. You will get definitive guide to washing your beanies. Before we do that, you will also get to know why you even have to bother washing your winter hats. Get comfortable, it is going to be an exciting read.
Why should you bother washing your beanie?
You can’t go a day or two without washing your hair, right? The same dirt you are getting off your hair finds its way into your hats. It leaves you no choice other than washing your beanies regularly.
Let us bring this closer home for a better understanding. Everything we are wearing can gather a massive amount of dirt in a few hours. Our bodies let out a lot of dirt and it all goes to what we are wearing. For instance, the body releases at least one liter of sweat each day. It is even more for those who exercise or do labor-intensive jobs. There is also 40 grams of greasy sebum, 10 grams of salts, and not less than 2 billions of dead skin cells each day. A good portion of all these dirt is produced in the scalp and goes into your hair. It also finds a way into the hats. If you leave all the grime there, it will turn smelly and you sure do not want things escalating that far.
The ultimate guide to washing your beanies
There are two methods you can use to wash your beanie. You can either hand wash or machine wash it. Each method is dictated by the instructions on the label of your cold-weather hat. Machine washing is fast and will not take a lot of your time. If it is hand washing, do not be in a hurry, you will be there for longer.
Let us now explore each of the washing methods.
Machine washing
- Check the beanie label to ascertain if it is machine-washable: there are washing instructions somewhere on the label. Beanies made of synthetic fibers, wool, cotton blends, and pure cotton can be washed in a machine. If you don’t see the label, don’t take the risk. Wash your beanie with hand.
- Prevent your beanie from stretching by putting it in a laundry bag: Beanies are notorious for stretching, especially when you wash them in a machine. Woolen beanies are the biggest stretching culprits. Stay ahead of this problem by putting your hats in a laundry bag. Draw the strings and your hat is ready for a thorough wash.
- Only soak your beanies with clothes in the same color.
- Use a mild detergent and don’t pour it directly: introduce the detergent via the exterior drawer. Pouring the soap directly will lead to some portions absorbing more detergent than other others. Some areas will be more washed than others.
- If your beanie is woolen, get detergents specific to it
- Use gentle cleaning setting: when the settings are too high, your hats will lose their shape. Settle for settings that are within the handwashing scope.
- Set temperatures at 29 degrees Celcius/85 degrees Fahrenheit: typically, hand washing settings work well with cold water. But some washing machines do not come with that option. Therefore, the temperature must not exceed 30 degrees Celcius or 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep away from the temptation to use hot water as it will shrink your beanies.
- Reshape your beanie when wet: when you are done washing, reshape your hat when it is still damp. You can as well stuff it with a few grocery bags on the inside to keep its shape.
- Dry your beanies naturally
You can read more about washing hats in a washing machine in another article where we went deeply into the subject.
Hand washing
This method is the best for knitted and synthetic fabric beanies. Here are the washing steps you should follow;
- Again, check the label to make sure the material is suitable for hand-washing. Nylon, acrylic, and polyester are some of the materials that bond well with hand washing.
- Fill up a bucket or sink with cold water
- For woolen and cashmere beanies, use lukewarm water. The water you use should not be hotter than 29 degrees Celcius or 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add a small amount of mild detergent: for every gallon of water, use one teaspoon of detergent. Use your hand to stir the water until the detergent is evenly distributed.
- Put your hats into the mixture and keep swirling for about 5 minutes. Do not try to stretch the beanie because that will lead to a permanent loss of shape. By the time the 5 minutes expire, over 98% of the dirt will be gone. If your hat is stained, massage it with the detergent thoroughly. You can also soak your beanies longer to remove all the stubborn stains.
- Use clean cold water to rinse your beanies: squeeze your beanies hard against the bottom or side of the sink or bucket. If your hat is made of a delicate fabric like cashmere, do not rinse it under a running tap.
- Create a ball shape with your beanie then press it on a hard surface to lose most of the water. Stay away from wringing as it will destroy its elasticity and shape.
- Roll up the beanies in a towel to remove extra moisture: if there is still some moisture left, put your beanie on a towel, roll it inside and press it gently to absorb the water. Make sure you are using a clean and larger towel than the beanie.
- Air-dry your beanies. Do not fall to the temptation of using a dryer.
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Wrap-up
We all love beanies, and even more so when they are clean. After all, washing your beanie is not rocket science. You can do it like a pro thanks to this article. Start by inspecting the washing instructions on the label and decide if it is machine or hand wash. The rest is a piece of cake. Be careful not to stretch your hat by pressing on it hard. Also, avoid using hot water as it is an enemy to the elasticity of your good cold weather headwear.
When it comes to fashion, we are the first to break the news to you. Stay tuned for more about beanies and other headwears.
