Your golf cap can naturally accumulate oil, sweat, and suncream from your skin, as you’re typically going to wear it on a bright or warm day. The sweat wicking fabric will be doing its job, however nobody likes to see that their golf hat has developed discolouration or sweat marks. Here are some tips on how to wash your golf cap.

First, check if the colour will transfer or run should you introduce it to water. This can happen with hats that have dark dye, like blue or black, and especially newer pieces as the fabric won’t be as ‘weathered’ as a well-worn hat. To test the colour, take a clean white cloth and dampen it a little before gently rubbing the fabric with it. If the hat’s colour transfers onto the cloth, then don’t submerge your hat in water when washing it. We’ll shortly cover how to remove stains from golf caps, so if you find the colour runs with this test then skip ahead.

If your colour doesn’t run, it’s safe to begin washing your golf hat. We wouldn’t recommend putting it through a washing cycle in your washing machine, as the high temperatures and the perfumed detergents could damage the fabric and stitching. Instead, hand wash your golf hat in a clean bowl or basin with a gentle soap.

Fill your bowl or basin with lukewarm water and a gentle fabric soap. Work the soap up into a lather so the water has bubbles and leave the hat to soak in it for an hour or so. Whilst it soaks, swirl and stir the water from time to time to keep it circulating through the fabric. With your thumb and forefinger, rub at the hat band to work away any sweat marks. When you’re happy with the outcome, take the hat out of the water and rinse it under clean water until the run-off is clear and free of bubbles. Then, pat it dry with a hand towel and leave it to dry in an open space.

If the sweat marks didn’t come out of your hat when you were washing it using our detailed method above or you’re worried about the colour running, then you need these tips on how to remove sweat stains without submerging the hat.

To clean just the sweatband and without affecting the surrounding fabric, make a solution out of baking soda and vinegar. Take measurements of four tablespoons of baking soda and about 60ml of water (or one-quarter of a cup). Mix this into a paste in a bowl and apply it to the sweatband using a toothbrush or teaspoon. Using small circular motions, rub the paste into the area, then leave the hat to sit with the paste on the band. Don’t leave this for longer than an hour - we’d recommend checking a patch after 45 minutes to see whether it’s lifted enough for your liking.

Before the hour is up, spray the sweatband with white wine vinegar and scrub the band a few more times before rinsing it with cold water. You may want to either trickle the water from the tap or pour a little on from a cup to avoid the need to submerge it. Then, pat it dry and leave it to dry in an open, ventilated area. Follow this same method for the sweat band of golf visors, too.