It often happens that after a season the hat becomes small, tight, or does not fit on the head at all. Of course, buying a new thing is not a problem today. The market is overflowing with different models made from all kinds of materials. But is there a guarantee that you won’t have to buy a new hat for the next season? And it’s very difficult to part with your favorite thing. How to stretch a hat so that it can still please the owner is the story in this article.
Why does the hat shrink and how to avoid it
What is the reason for the changes, and what recommendations will help preserve your favorite product:
- Use boiling water when washing. In such a situation, high temperature will contribute to the narrowing of tissue fibers. Therefore, wool hats are washed in water up to 30° C.
- The item deteriorates due to machine washing, even if the required temperature conditions are observed. This is an indication that hats are usually washed by hand.
- Wrong choice of detergent. The active chemical compounds contained in the usual powder destroy the structure of fragile tissues. Therefore, you should opt for liquid preparations for gentle washing.
- An abnormal drying temperature can disrupt the molecular structure of the fibers of the product. Therefore, it is best to dry the product in a natural environment. Batteries and other heating devices are excluded.
- Changes in humidity and temperature conditions harm the headdress. Keeping a hat after winter wear in a room with dry air or in a closet without proper control until the next season causes it to become deformed, decrease in size, and lose its shape. Therefore, storage and ventilation conditions must be observed. When purchasing, you must obtain the seller's recommendations on operating rules.
We also recommend reading: 8 ways: how to clean a mouton fur coat at home
But if it happens that your favorite item has decreased in size, stretching a hat at home is quite possible, you just need to choose the appropriate method and take precautions.
Is it possible to stretch a shrunken wool item after washing?
Unfortunately, not all things can be stretched after they have been reduced in size. Clothing made from pure wool alone does not lend itself well to this process. And if a sweater or snood is knitted from mixed threads (wool, synthetics), then all is not lost.
So, when washing products made from natural threads, it is better to adhere to the following conditions:
- Do not soak clothes and hats in hot water. Usually the label indicates at what temperature of water it can be washed.
- Do not use powders containing powerful, detergent chemical components; use special liquids on the packaging that say: For wool.
- Do not wash items on the normal automatic cycle, use the delicate cycle.
The sweater has shrunk, how to stretch it?
IMPORTANT : It is better to dry knitted items unfolded, because they can not only shrink, but also lose their original shape.
Fur hat
Steam is used to stretch hats made of capricious and delicate fabrics (mink, sheepskin, angora or other natural product).
Steam softening
Actions are performed according to the following algorithm:
- Heat water in a saucepan or kettle to 100° C.
- Impregnate the cap with steam. This will take five minutes.
- Pull the wet object onto the balloon or blank for the cap.
- Place the entire structure in an unlit place for 2–4 days.
Fur hats are also stored in a bottle in the dark. Or they fill the inside of the cap with paper or newspapers. No packaging required.
You can stretch a fur hat at home using another method.
Heating
The hat is heated with boiling water. To do this, place it in a spray bottle and spray the product well from the inside. Then the cap is pulled onto a balloon or blank and dried under natural conditions. If the stretching is unsuccessful, the procedure is repeated.
Cap material
Before the procedure for returning the shape and volume of the headdress, it is necessary to determine what material was used for its manufacture and what additions or combinations of materials are present in it.
This will help not make the problem worse. Products made mainly from knitwear, wool and some synthetic materials are stretched.
A label sewn on the inside of the hat containing information about the composition of the product, acceptable washing methods, temperature, drying, etc. will help you find out this information.
Often, violation of these recommendations entails loss of the shape of the headdress and unpresentable appearance.
Leather hat
Leather and suede hats and caps stretch very poorly, but using steam softening, which is described above, you can achieve success. You can slightly modify the method if you first rinse the leather hat in water adding 2 tbsp. l. vinegar and 3 tbsp. l. 30% peroxide. And after a gentle push-up, pull the item onto the container or saucepan. Then dry at a constant temperature in the living room.
Do not forget to read the manufacturer's recommendations before the procedure.
Remember
- Take proper care. Read the information on the label and follow the manufacturer's recommendations. For woolen hats, use comfortable water and do not dry them on a radiator.
- Choose a storage location. There should be no moisture in the room; avoid sunny places and mezzanine closets, where the temperature is always higher.
- Wash properly. Do not machine wash hats or use aggressive powders.
Having an idea of how to stretch or reduce the volume of a hat, you can correct the defect yourself. I talked about proven, effective methods. You can adjust the size of your favorite item without having to buy a new item.
Knitted or wool hat
Knitted items can be washed at a water temperature of 20–30°. For rinsing, the temperature is maintained. It should be noted that if the water is colder than 20°, then the wool becomes coarser and becomes tougher, and if it is above 30°, the product decreases in size. For small shrinkage, the steaming method is used.
We also recommend reading: How to care for fur: some tips
Ironing
In this case, use an iron and ironing board. The shrunken hat is placed on the table, covered with layers of gauze and steam is released onto the product, moving 10–15 cm away from it. The hat is also stretched in the desired direction to give it shape. To secure the shape, the headdress is placed on the head after ironing.
How else can you stretch a wool knitted hat?
Using a jar
Sometimes it is enough to moisten the neck of the bottle and the item itself with cool water. Pull it over the neck of the bottle. Secure with clothespins and wait to dry.
Towel instead of wringing
The essence of the method is that the knitted hat will stretch without damaging the fibers and weaving, but at the same time it will also be possible to get rid of moisture with a towel.
How to stretch a hat in this way. Algorithm of actions:
- Lay out a terry towel on the table.
- Place the cap stretched by hand on it.
- Roll the towel for 10 minutes. Moisture will be absorbed.
- Replace the towel with a dry one.
- Repeat the first steps again.
- The remaining moisture will evaporate after hanging the headdress on the rope.
- The hat will stretch due to its weight.
When hanging a product on a rope, clothespins are used to hold the edges of the item.
Softening fibers
This method is used in workshops to restore the elasticity of fibers. Stretching is done using certain compounds. At home, this option is possible in the presence of acetic acid or peroxide.
Wet a wool hat in an aqueous solution containing 1 tbsp. l. vinegar per 10 liters of water. And then pull it onto the balloon. After drying, the problem will be eliminated. Vinegar can also be replaced with peroxide.
Reasons why a hat may stretch
Like any woolen item, a hat can stretch and take on a shapeless, sloppy appearance.
The reasons why this may happen are:
- automatic washing. The knitting of hats is usually weaker than other woolen items and this can cause both shrinkage and stretching of the product. It is advisable to hand wash such items;
- time factor. After some time of wear, the garment may well wear down one or even two sizes;
- improper storage. Some people, after the winter period, in order to maintain the desired shape, pull the hat onto a jar or mannequin, which over time will cause stretching.
Precautionary measures
- Follow the instructions when performing headgear stretching operations. Otherwise, the product may change color, fade, or become discolored.
- Be careful when stretching, especially for leather hats. If there is a strong tension on the blank, the material can be damaged.
- Try to stretch the product once. Re-processing may cause damage.
- When drying, beware of temperature changes and hot rays of the sun. The best option for natural wool is the temperature of living quarters, a horizontal plane, and the absence of electric heating devices.
- The best option for storing fur and leather hats is a dark, cool place where the hats are on stands, jars, or, in extreme cases, stuffed with paper or newspapers.
- Do not forget to familiarize yourself in advance with the storage and care conditions from the manufacturer of a particular product.
We also recommend reading: How to properly wash a jacket: cleaning, ironing, steaming and drying
Try in every possible way to avoid situations in which the cap sits down. This is especially true for products made from synthetic materials, since they cannot be stretched.
In special workshops, of course, they do not use either cylinders or cans. Here, in addition to specific solutions, there are electric blanks, thanks to which they increase the size of any cap made of any material. The cost of professional services is affordable to every citizen.
If you doubt that you will be able to cope on your own, it is better to immediately contact the workshop, thereby obtaining a high-quality result.
What to do to prevent a wool hat from shrinking
We looked at how to stretch a wool hat if it has shrunk after washing, improper storage and use. But deformation can be prevented. To do this, you need to follow the rules for washing, wearing and using wool items. If washed and dried incorrectly, wool can shrink and shrink, losing softness and color.
For washing, choose special gels, shampoos and conditioners designed for woolen materials. Do not wring or twist woolen materials, as they will become very wrinkled and deformed. When rinsing, you can add a little special conditioner or a few tablespoons of vinegar to the water.
After washing, wrap the wool item in a terry towel or sheet to absorb excess moisture. Then hang the clothes on hangers, and the hat on a stand, mace or three-liter jar. Under no circumstances hang things on a rope or the back of a chair, or secure them with clips or clothespins, otherwise creases and folds will appear.
Dry woolen items at room temperature in a well-ventilated area and store them in the dark and cool. For long-term storage, remove items at least twice a month and leave to air for one to two hours. At the same time, carefully straighten the woolen fabric. For more information about caring for woolen items, see the link https://vsepodomu.ru/glazhka/kak-gladit-sherstyanye-veschi/.
Is it possible to make a felt or velor hat smaller?
Over time, a felt or velor headdress stretches, but it can be restored to its original appearance and parameters. If you need to revive a felt hat, the following method will help:
- First you need to prepare a mold in which the product should fit. This could be a saucepan or a flower pot.
- Fill a container with water and bring it to a boil. Hold the hat over the steam to warm it up.
- Place the product on the prepared form. Level it on all sides, adjust the margins. It is necessary to take into account that the hat will take on the shape it will have when it dries, so it is necessary to level the item before it hardens.
- Correct the product periodically. When it is completely dry, remove it.
This method allows you not only to correct the shape of a felt headdress, but also to refresh it and restore its brightness of color. The same method can be used to update a velor hat.
