Straw Hat Problems

[Lumelux]

Hello to everyone,

Not sure if this has been covered before but I just got a nice Milan straw off Ebay and it has a bit of a musty smell to it. Is there any way to remove said smell and clean a straw hat. Also, can it be shrunk at all. Thanks in advance

mike

 

[rmrdaddy]

A little steaming may lessen some of the odor I'm thinking, and steaming the base of the hat where the brim meets the crown might also serve to shrink it a tad too. How many sizes too large is it?

 

[Lumelux]

No. Just about a quarter inch or less too big. I'll try steaming it and see what happens. Thanks

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I have washed several straws, the same weay I do felts: cold water and mild detergent, cold rinse. Just be sure you have shaped the hat exactly the way you want it. Once it dries, it will hold that shape!. It's also a good idea to put it on your head several times, while drying. This shapes the proper "oval" for your head. I wouldn't count on much shrinking, though. You'll probably have to use shims under the sweatband.

 

[Lumelux]

Thnaks JT. I'll let you know how it goes.

mike