How to wash & dry a wool Balmoral cap?

**unixken** · 16th June 12, 05:17 PM

Thanks, Ann. As it happens, I'd attempted a washing of the hat a few hours earlier than your response. I used a mild shampoo (no conditioner). I "slooshed" and "sloshed" the hat clean, using lots of fresh water. I used cool tap water through the whole process.

To dry, I laid out the hat on a soft folded towel, as if it were on my head, and let the majority of the water be wicked from the hat by the towel. After a couple hours, when the majority of the water was absorbed by the towel, I then put the hat on my head while it was damp (but no longer drenched), to ensure the headband still fit. So far, so good.

The lay of the hat may not be quite what a complete "jocking" would yield, but I will say the hat came clean, stayed together, and I didn't destroy my $80 hat in the process.

**SlackerDrummer** · 17th June 12, 03:33 PM

It will take a lot more than soap and water to destroy one of those bonnets!

**unixken** · 17th June 12, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by SlackerDrummer

It will take a lot more than soap and water to destroy one of those bonnets!

That's comforting to hear.

Whenever it comes to wool garments of any kind, I keep thinking back to a day years ago when I was still in high school, when I'd stacked a few of my good wool sweaters aside to take to the cleaners. My brother, not realizing they were wool, threw them all in the laundry. Needless to say, every one of them shrank about 5 sizes, and I ended up giving them to some neighbor kids, since not a one of them fit me any more.

In the case of this hat, I wear a large hat size (7 3/4), and my fear of laundering the hat in any way was that it would shrink so badly I'd have to toss it. Fortunately, that didn't happen. The hat held up just fine, and it still fits perfectly.

**Pleater** · 18th June 12, 03:11 AM

To felt/shrink wool three things need to be applied - soap, agitation and heat - if you can avoid having all three at the same time then your wool item should be safe.

Unfortunately the modern washing machine is really good at providing all three at once, which is great for felt making but not for jerseys/sweaters.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Tobus** · 19th June 12, 11:36 AM

To felt/shrink wool three things need to be applied - soap, agitation and heat - if you can avoid having all three at the same time then your wool item should be safe.

I wasn't aware soap was required for felting. I thought only heat, water, and agitation were needed?

**Pleater** · 22nd June 12, 02:51 AM

I was taking the water requirement as assumed - perhaps it ought to be Felt Factor Zero.

The classic felt making of the fez and other felted hats uses soap - though perhaps with wool which has already been scoured it is not so essential. Wool with the lanolin on doesn't shrink or felt.

There was a shipwreck with a cargo of wool bales which were salvaged after 60 years and the wool was tested and sold as good to use. It is a really incredible substance.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: