FINE HAT CARE

With proper care, you can enjoy your Panama or fur felt hat for decades.

Both hand-woven paja toquilla fibers and fine beaver felts are naturally durable. But mishandling, dirt, moisture and extreme temperatures can damage the material or alter your hat’s shape. Of course, stains should be promptly treated.

Handling Your Hat

When picking up or removing your Panama or fur felt hat, lift the crown with your open palm or hold the brim. You should never pinch your hat’s crown between your fingers.

Between wearings, use a hat rack or a hat block with the correct shape. Don’t use hooks, which can distort your hat’s shape over time. And never leave your Panama hat in a car on a warm day. High heat damages the paja toquilla fibers.

When resting your hat on a flat surface, place it on its crown so that its brim keeps its shape.

Storing Your Hat

Correct storage of your Panama or fur felt hat is a must. If possible, store your hat in the original box and leave it someplace cool and dry. Remember to clean it first with a soft whisk brush or horsehair brush. Contact us to purchase a hat brush.

Rain and Your Hat

Panama and fur felt hats cope with water differently.

Panama hats were created to protect wearers from the sun, not the rain, and can lose their shape if soaked through. A Panama hat that loses it’s shape can be repaired at home. Hold your hat over steam or boiling water and gently work it back into shape. Blow-drying is not recommended. You can reshape the brim with an iron on the lowest heat setting, and always place a light color cloth between the iron and your hat to protect the fibers.

However, water resistance is one of the chief advantages of fur felt. If your hat becomes wet, carefully shake off any excess water and let it dry naturally. A fur felt hat can then be lightly brushed.

Regular Maintenance

The natural fibers of your Panama hat can dry and crack in hot weather. Occasionally, a light misting of water will help preserve your hat. If you own a Panama hat, occasionally wipe it down gently with a soft, lint-free cloth, or brush it with a soft whisk brush or horsehair brush to remove any dust and dirt.

Fur felt hats, on the other hand, don’t need extra moisture. Nor do they need special waterproofing sprays or treatments. We also recommend a horsehair brush for fur felt hats. Starting at the crown, brush your hat with light, counter-clockwise strokes. If your fur felt hat gathers any lint or pet hair, use a lint roller to safely lift it up.

Removing Stains

Try not to allow stains to soak into the natural fibers of your Panama hat. At the same time, always be cautious when treating stains. If the stain is on the surface, dampen a cloth in cold water and lightly rub in the direction of the weave. If necessary, add a small amount of mild, colorless soap to the water. You may also try using pre-moistened facial wipes.

Deep-set stains, and tough stains like blood, red wine or oil-based stains, call for professional cleaning. Straw hat cleaning kits are available, but we don’t recommend their use on a hat by Montecristi.

A soft cloth and cold water may also remove stains from your fur felt hat. Alternatively, use a soft rubber sponge dipped in cold water.