You might not think about it, but you definitely don’t want to ignore your beanie collection when laundry day rolls around. Think about all the oils and gunk that build up in your hair every day. Now, imagine them sticking to your beanie. Gross, right? So, let’s find out how to wash a beanie and keep you stylish while prolonging the life of your cherished hats.
Learning how to clean a hat the right way will keep your beanie bright, stretchy, and looking great. Beanies come in a variety of styles, stitches, and materials. Everything from the weave, fabric, and embellishments like pom-poms means you’ll need to change the way you wash your hats.
Let’s talk about the different styles of beanie hats and then move into what that means for laundry day.
Can you wash beanies?
Of course, not only can you wash beanies, but you should.
Beanies can be washed with a little attention to their needs. Because beanies typically have some amount of elastic woven into them, they need to be handled in cold water and never thrown into the dryer. You can machine wash in cold, or you can hand wash a beanie. Always lay it out flat to dry.
Let’s look into the different kinds of things that will change how you wash a beanie.
Washing loose weave beanies
Loose weave beanies can be a little high maintenance, but they’re really not so bad once you get to know them.
- They can fray when machine washed
- You’ll want to use less detergent with this type of beanie
- They can shrink easily
You’ll never get away with hot water or a hot dryer with a loose weave beanie, so promise us you’ll never go that route.
Washing tight weave beanies
Tight weave beanies will be a little more forgiving if you screw up. We’re all guilty of forgetting something is in the wash and chucking it into the dryer much later on. Here are some things to take into consideration with tight weave beanies:
- They shrink less easily
- You can use a bit more detergent with this type of hat
- They generally won’t fray as easily in a machine wash
Except for hats with a high elastic content, generally, a tight-weave hat will hold up better in the dryer. You don’t want to do it on purpose, obviously, but if you forget it’s in there with your other stuff, you’ll probably be okay.
How to wash a beanie with a pom pom
Pom pom beanies can be a little tricky. If the pom pom is made of the same stuff as the rest of the hat, wash normally using our instructions in the next section. A lot of the time, the pom pom will be made of something different, like fake fur. You don’t want to get that stuff wet. Faux fur pom poms can disintegrate under rough handling.
To wash a pom pom beanie hat, wash by hand in cold water. Especially for faux fur or other special materials, don’t submerge them in the water. Hold the pom pom out of the water while you wash the hat. Since it doesn’t touch your skin, it’s okay not to wash. Then, air dry it like you normally would.
How to wash wool beanies
Wool isn’t as scary as people make it out to be. You can absolutely wash it, and honestly, you really should as often as possible. Real wool gets softer with each wash, which means you’ll get rid of that scratchy feeling against your forehead.
To wash wool beanies, either hand wash or machine wash in cold water. For machine washing, simply wash with a regular load of clothes and then air dry. For hand washing your beanies, mix cold water and a little detergent in the sink, then swish the hat around for about five minutes. Rinse, and avoid wringing the hat out, then air dry.
Steps to wash a wool beanie
- Fill sink with cold water and detergent
- Submerge beanie
- Rub fabric until soap bubbles appear
- Swish around gently for five minutes
- Run cold water and rinse
- Pat dry – never wring! – and lie flat
A beanie will take about a day to dry fully. You can speed up your wait time by patting it dry with a towel, but never wring out your beanie.
How to wash acrylic beanies
Acrylic beanies aren’t much different than wool when it comes to washing. Whereas wool will shrink in hot water, acrylic holds up a little better.
To wash an acrylic beanie, either hand wash or machine wash in cold water. You can get away with warm water, but never use hot, and don’t put it in the dryer. To hand wash, mix water and detergent and swish the fabric around for five minutes, then pat dry and leave lying flat.
Machine wash a beanie
If you’re super opposed to spending the five minutes getting your swish on, you can throw beanies in with your regular laundry. Just remember to rescue them before the dryer!
To machine wash a beanie, add it to a load of like colors and use a gentle, cold water cycle. If you have a delicates bag, place it in there for extra protection. Add detergent but skip the fabric softener. Run the cycle as normal, then remove your hat and place it somewhere flat to air dry.
We skip the fabric softener because the skin on your face is more sensitive than the rest of your body. The chemicals in fabric softer can be super irritating – many people get acne or dermatitis from it.
How to dry a beanie
You’ve seen it a few times now, but since you can’t put your beanie in the wash, you’ll need to air dry it.
To dry a beanie, lay it out flat in an area that gets a lot of indirect sunlight and has good airflow. If your area is dark or the air is still, you risk your beanie getting a mildew smell. If you can, leave it in bright, hot sun and keep an eye on it.
You don’t want to leave a beanie in bright sunlight because the colors will fade. If you have a light color beanie, you don’t need to worry about this. The brighter, the better because it’ll dry faster, and you won’t get a smell.
How to machine dry a beanie
Listen, there’s only one reason you’d have to machine dry a beanie, and that’s if your beanie has lice. You need to use a lot of heat to get rid of them, so you’ll actually want to wash in scalding hot water first.
Avoid machine drying a beanie if you can, but if your beanie needs heat, run it through on hot and allow it to air dry the rest of the way. If your hat has a high elastic content, it will shrink. Tighter knit hats and wool won’t be as affected, but a loose knit hat or acrylic will distort with heat.
How to store a knit hat
This one seems like a no-brainer, but storing a knit hat correctly is important to keep it protected for the next time it’s worn. Especially between seasons, you want your hats looking great year to year.
To store a knit hat in the short term, don’t hang it on your coat hook. Let the beanie lay flat somewhere so its shape doesn’t get distorted. In the long term, like in the summer, roll your knit hat and put it away in a drawer. Beanies are small, but rolling will free up more space and prevent creases.
If you clean and store your beanies right, you’ll keep them looking cool and won’t need to run out for a replacement every time the temperature drops.
Laundry FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about doing the laundry.
What soap should I wash a beanie with?
Since beanies touch your face, it’s best to use a fragrance-free detergent. Fragrance, chemical or natural, can give you dermatitis, acne, or provoke an allergy.
Can I put my beanie in the dryer?
Never put your beanie in the dryer. The hot air will shrink and even ruin the elastic. Your cool, slouchy beanie just became a skullcap.
Will my beanie shrink?
The trouble with beanies is their elastic, which will definitely shrink in the dryer. If you wash in cold water and air dry, you’ll avoid the dreaded shrinkage.
Does acrylic shrink?
Acrylic holds up better to shrinkage than natural fibers like wool or cotton. Synthetic fibers are treated to prevent shrink.
How to wash a beanie – final thoughts
Be good to your beanies, and they’ll be good to you. Cleaning your beanie hats is a great way to keep them looking their best year after year. And when your beanie looks its best, you look your best.
Always read the care label before you wash anything. I know it sounds crazy, but those little symbols actually mean things. A care label will tell you for sure what’s safe and what’s off-limits.
If you are lucky enough to have a homemade beanie hat, follow our instructions and always err on the safe side to make sure your beanie sticks around for years to come.