Exquisite, beautiful straw hats of various styles are especially relevant in the hot summer season. Not only do they protect the head and neck from the burning sun, but also perfectly complement any style of clothing. A straw hat is a headdress that brings femininity, tenderness, and romance to your look. Like all products made from natural materials, it requires delicate care and cleaning.
Basic rules of care for a straw hat
It takes very little time to clean and properly maintain a straw hat. Regular care will allow your favorite headdress to remain attractive for more than one season. At home, the hat is cleaned during the summer and always in preparation for long-term storage.
The focus is on removing dust and the effects of bright sunlight. Sometimes you have to clean stains obtained by accidentally dropping a cake on the hat, or spilling coffee or juice.
Removing dust
No matter how hard you try, you can’t protect your hat from summer dust. Therefore, after each return home, the dust must be cleaned off with a soft dry brush. You can use an old toothbrush to carefully treat the woven spots. Just do not wash.
If this is not enough, move on to a deeper cleaning. For light straw, use ordinary soap and water:
- slightly wet the brush in soapy water;
- gently wipe the hat;
- wash off with clean water;
- to maintain shape, quickly dry with a white cloth or towel.
After deep cleaning from dust and possible contaminants, you can try to restore the whiteness. To do this, continue the cleaning process with 3% hydrogen peroxide:
- evenly moisten with peroxide;
- allow to dry for several minutes;
- iron through cheesecloth.
You should pay special attention to the dark straw items. After removing the dust, wipe them with a sponge soaked in vegetable oil, then dry them with a cloth.
Preventing yellowing
A straw hat may turn yellow if it has stayed in a closet for a long time, or, conversely, if it has been worn often. There are simple ways to maintain the whiteness of your straw.
Method 1. Mix the juice of one lemon or citric acid with water and simply spray the resulting solution over the entire surface. Then dry it.
When spraying, do not allow excessive wetting.
Method 2. After removing the zest, cut the lemon in half. Rub the straw item as evenly as possible with these halves. Leave it for 35–45 minutes, then rinse thoroughly using warm water and a soft brush. Dry and iron with a hot iron, make sure to do it through a white cloth or cheesecloth.
Method 3. If you don’t have any lemon, it can be replaced with 3% hydrogen peroxides and ammonia:
- mix 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia each;
- straighten the hat and wipe it with the prepared mixture;
- iron it with a very hot iron.
Cleaning before long-term storage
In preparation for winter storage, linen, cotton and many other clothes have to be washed. If you tried washing straw items, you could end up with very sad consequences. Any attempt to wash a straw hat will ruin it. Here is how you should clean it:
- Carefully remove dust, brushing through all the weaves.
- Gently remove stains with a soft sponge using plain water and baby soap.
- If there are any tough stains, do not try to wash the hat; consult a dry cleaning specialist. They can clean your straw hat without exposing it to destructive actions.
Before cleaning, decorations and ribbons from the hat should be removed and washed.
When storing in a closet, do not hang straw items on hangers and hooks. They will need their own shelf space. Get a mannequin head, or choose a suitable plastic bottle or glass jar. Most importantly, straw hats should be stored fully expanded.
Caring for straw products is easy. So don’t dismiss those beautiful hats made of natural material too quickly.