cleaning straw hats

[shamus]

there is probably a nice thread about this already... but I just picked up my first new to me panama straw hat. It's vintage and very nice, but lightly soiled and need a light cleaning..

How should I do this?

Thanks, I'll post pre and post pics when I try out your suggestions...

[SHARPETOYS]

Nu Straw works very well. Here is one link.

http://www.mens-hats.com/IBS/SimpleC...rarchy/0F.html

[shamus]

will that work with a panama?

[SHARPETOYS]

Yes I use plain soap and water on a clean cloth and have gone over my hats also. You can take a Montecristi and wash in plain soap and water and clean the hat but then you will need to have the hat blocked again.

After you clean the hat then take it into the bathroom block the bottom of the door and turn the shower on hot and let the hat get some steam from the shower. Panama hats need moisture to insure they won't crack from dryness.

http://www.noggintops.com/cgi-bin/we...41105554222.6f

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

Greetings, when I was in Colorado for my aunts funeral I picked up a 50's fedora. I really sweat alot during the summer and it already had been used hard, so decided to wear it when it was very hot. It now has dark stains on the straw around the ribbon. Also the sweat band pulled loose when I lifted the hat off my head. How do you remove or clean the stains and do I replace the leather sweat band or just resew it?
This topic most likely has been covered numerous times. So if you can insert the previous thread then it would benefit myself and others.
Thank you, Troy