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Old Hat hygiene

JCBurns

Familiar Face
Messages
51
Location
Denver, CO
Ok, so after my purchase of a few decent used hats, someone at work asked me about the cleanliness of them. Good question! When you guys purchase a used hat, is there anything you do to "sanitize" it. They of course mentioned head lice, something I hadn't even thought about. (Can you tell he has six kids?) :) So anyway, any answer will be appreciated. Thanks.

JCBurns
 

Rick Blaine

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,958
Location
Saskatoon, SK CANADA
You could bag it w/ some mothballs for a week, that'll kill anything including your desire to wear a hat that smells of mothballs. Seriously though I think they now make odor free mothballs
 

Aaron Hats

Vendor
Messages
539
Location
Does it matter?
First, I would recommend a little steam and a good brushing. After that, put it on your head and enjoy.

As far as lice goes, that's not a concern. They can not survive without a human host.
 

Feraud

Bartender
Messages
17,190
Location
Hardlucksville, NY
I do not think headlice would thrive inside a vintage hat.
Mothballs will kill any critters looking make a meal of your hat.
Putting a hat in a plastic bag and freezing it for a few days should do the trick too.
 

Cacklewack

One of the Regulars
Messages
270
Location
Portland, OR
Looking at the hats you won, I would simply do a victory dance around them for a few minutes while praising the hat gods. Then I would wear them while strutting.

Matt
 

JCBurns

Familiar Face
Messages
51
Location
Denver, CO
Um yea, sorry Rick. Nice try though! I know better now! And I've got the bug now. I gotta go check out some more Antique stores!

JCBurns
 

DOUGLAS

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,777
Location
NYC
If those are concidered decent send me the just ok ones you find. PLEASE;)
 

Rick Blaine

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,958
Location
Saskatoon, SK CANADA
JCBurns said:
Um yea, sorry Rick. Nice try though! I know better now! And I've got the bug now. I gotta go check out some more Antique stores!

JCBurns



snidleywhiplash.jpg

DRAT, CURSES! FOILED AGAIN
 
Messages
10,560
Location
My mother's basement
We once had a member here who opined that old hats are icky, on account of their having been on other people's heads and for that reason they somehow got infused with sweat and hair dressing and whatnot. And Lord only knows what that might do to you. Baldness. Impotence. Whatever.
As others here have already told you (and as you may well have suspected, provided you had perused much at all on this site), you got a screaming deal on those lids. With the exception of some high-end customs, new hats just can't compare to what was made 50 and more years ago. Yours are not only very clean old hats, two or three of them are much-sought-after styles. You could easily get ten times what you paid for that Whippet. Twenty times, maybe, on a good day.
I used to buy most of my wardrobe at a thrift store operated by a local AIDS charity. (This was back before there was an effective therapy for the illness, and its victims were dying with great frequency and the charity was getting much deserved attention for its good work.) The place was an absolute treasure trove -- lots of high quality, fine looking duds in very good condition. Heck, the stuff was often fresh from the cleaners. Shirts with the paper tags still on 'em, for example.
Anyway, some people avoided the place, presumably because it had something to do with AIDS. And gayness. It seemed they feared they would contract either or both just by entering the store, let alone by trying on the clothes.
I'm not suggesting that you are such a paranoid, JC, but your workmate's query reminds me of just how superstitious and phobic seemingly competent people can be.
As someone who has caught cooties from secondhand clothes many, many times, I can tell you it's nothing to be afraid of. You might run a fever for a few days, and then your ears fall off. But that's the worst of it.
 

JCBurns

Familiar Face
Messages
51
Location
Denver, CO
You know Tony, I hadn't even given it a second thought. I was trying them on in the antique store, not the least bit concerned. I guess maybe I've led a sheltered life, because any thought of "cooties" never even came to mind.

JCBurns
 

mingoslim

Practically Family
Messages
858
Location
Southern Ohio
tonyb said:
We once had a member here who opined that old hats are icky, on account of their having been on other people's heads and for that reason they somehow got infused with sweat and hair dressing and whatnot. And Lord only knows what that might do to you. Baldness. Impotence. Whatever.

So where did you hide the body?
 

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