Advice Sought

[kingandy]

I have a hat.

The hat needs a wash. It's never been washed, and it makes my head itch like crazy because of the industrial strength detergents on it. (I'm guessing. I got the same thing from a LRP shirt I bought, which stopped as soon as I washed it.)

The problem is ... it's a nice hat. It's got beads, piping and tiny mirrors on it and it's made of velvet. How the fuck do you wash velvet? Never mind velvet with tiny mirrors sewn on...

Comments

[dracven.livejournal.com]

Dry cleaners perhaps?

[stsquad.livejournal.com]

By hand

[kingandy]

... but ... velvet!...

[jewelstar93.livejournal.com]

In the dishwasher, but don't use dishwasher soap, it has bleach in it. And dont use over a little bit of detergent, because it will do a Lucy Ricardo on your floor.

[renniek.livejournal.com]

Wash it by hand in the bathtub. Use a gentle detergent - something like Lux soap flakes nthat's intended for washing delicate things. Let it dry naturally. If it's got any shape to it (ie if it's not just a floppy hat), gently pull it back into the right shape before drying.

[kingandy]

OK, cheers, I'll give that a go.

I'm slightly worried about the metal bits around the mirrors rusting, but what the hell.

[renniek.livejournal.com]

Rust probably won't be a big problem - it tends to happen if metal's damp over a long period of time rather than wet for a short period then dried relatively quickly. After you've washed the hat, give the metal bits a wipe with a soft cloth to get an excess water off the metal itself. If you're particularly worried about it you could give them a wipe with some oil or wax to protect them.
If the hat's velvet it shouldn't take too long to dry - specially not if you can dry it outside in the sun.