When it comes to shrinking a wool hat, there are many people who would often say that it is not a good idea. And the reason big that shrinking often involves using water. As such, some people may tell you that getting a wool hat wet is not a good idea, while others would recommend it. However, if you do have a wool bucket hat that is too large and you need it to fit you, then you will no choice but to take the risk. In this regard there are several alternative ways to go about the shrinking process, so if you find that you have some hats that don't fully fit you well, then read on because we have the perfect shrinking options for you to consider.
Use the Washing Machine
This is an excellent choice if you have some wool baseball hats, beanies or wholesale bucket hats that you need to shrink down. The first thing you need to do is to set the washing machine to gentle and small load. This is important because you do not want to end up ruining the hat in the process. You should also make sure that the temperature has been set to warm. This is because if the temperature is set to cold water, the hat may not shrink sufficiently. On the other hand, if you set it to hot, then it may end up shrinking too much or even end up fading/fraying the hat. This can often be a problem, especially if you have some hat patches custom.
Once you are done washing it, you should then dry it out on low heat. As mentioned before, excess heat can damage you hat unnecessarily, so keep it mild. You can then keep removing it from the dryer every few minutes to see if it fits well or not. If it doesn't then you can put it back in the washer and repeat the process until the desired size is achieved. Once it does fit you well, place it in a well-ventilated area to air dry.
Use a Hot Water Pot
This is a less conventional way of going about the shrinking process, but it does often do the trick quite nicely. All you have to do is simply fill a pot with water and heat it on your stove. The pot should be wide enough to fit your hat without spilling out any water. Let the water heat up until it starts to steam, but it shouldn’t be too hot, as medium heat will be enough. You can then submerge the hat in question. It could be one of your vintage baseball caps or maybe some trucker hats wholesale that you recently purchased. Let it soak for about 5-10 minutes, which should let the hat's fibers start to constrict and become denser. Once this is done, remove the hat and place it in the dryer on low heat. Make sure to keep checking on it every five minutes or so and you can keep trying it on until it fits you correctly.
Use the Shower
The third method that you can try using is to put on your wool snapback hat and get into a hot shower. It is a little unorthodox, but trust us it actually works! The water temperature should be hot enough that it does the job, but comfortable enough that it doesn't burn you of-course. You can give it about five minutes for it to get fully soaked and while the hot water falls on your head the hat's rigidity will break down and causing it to shrink. In fact, since you will be wearing it while it happens, it will be able to shrink and fit perfectly on your head. You can even try to massage the hat a little to help shape it better.
This is an excellent method for using on bucket hats, fedoras, trilbies, newsboy caps, etc. However, if you have a baseball hat or dad hat that may happen to have been made using cardboard, then you should avoid using this method, as too much water will most likely damage the long-term structure of the hat. You should avoid getting any soap or shampoo on the cap as well.
Once done, step out and then put it on as it continues to dry. It may feel uncomfortable, but it will be worth it, as once it's fully dry, it will start to fully harden and form into the perfect head size and shape. Alternatively, you can also speed up the process by blow-drying it with a hairdryer. However, make sure that it is still on your head while doing so, and as it dries out, it should start to shrink to fit your head.
