How to Clean a New Era Hat (Including 59FIFTY Fitteds)

To clean a New Era hat, brush it dry, spot clean it with a soft brush and a small amount of mild cleaner, wipe it with a damp cloth, and air dry it on a round form. Before any of that, check the care tag inside your cap, since New Era makes hats in a lot of different materials.

Quick note so nobody gets confused: Cap Sauce isn’t affiliated with New Era. We just clean a lot of their hats, because a lot of people wear them.

The quick answer

1. Read the care tag inside your cap and check what the hat is made of.
2. Brush off loose dust with a soft, dry brush.
3. Scrub the crown in small circles with a little cleaner on the brush.
4. Clean the sweatband, where the sweat and smell build up.
5. Wipe away the suds with a damp cloth. Don’t soak it.
6. Dry it on a ball, coffee can or rolled towel, away from heat and sun.

Know what you’re cleaning

“New Era hat” covers a lot of ground. The 59FIFTY fitted, the 9FIFTY snapback, the 9FORTY and 9TWENTY adjustables, plus knits and specialty releases. Some are wool or wool blend, many are polyester, some are cotton, and older ones may have cardboard in the brim.

The material changes how much water and pressure the hat can take. That’s why the tag matters more than any general rule, including ours. If the tag says spot clean only, stick to spot cleaning.

What you’ll need

• A soft-bristle brush and an old toothbrush for logo edges
• A gentle cleaner: hat foam, or a couple drops of mild dish soap in cool water
• A microfiber cloth
• Something round for drying

How to clean a New Era hat, step by step

Step 1: Dry brush

Brush the whole cap while it’s dry, from the button down. Get into the seams between panels, since dust likes to collect there.

Step 2: Spot clean the crown

Put a small amount of cleaner on the brush, not the cap. Scrub in small circles with light pressure, one panel at a time. Raised embroidery is the signature of a lot of these hats, so go slow around the logos. Hard scrubbing can fuzz the threads.

Step 3: Clean the sweatband

Flip the cap over and scrub the full band, then wipe. If you see yellow or white lines, check our guide on sweat stains in hats.

Step 4: Wipe, don’t rinse

Use a damp, well-wrung cloth to lift off the suds. Two or three passes per panel. Holding the cap under the faucet soaks the brim and crown, which is the fastest way to lose that structured shape.

Step 5: Dry on a form

Set it on something round that fills the crown. Let it air dry with good airflow. Polyester usually dries in a few hours. Wool can take most of a day.

How to clean a New Era fitted hat (59FIFTY)

The 59FIFTY is a fitted, so it has no strap to adjust if it shrinks. That makes heat the number one enemy. Use cool water only, keep the hat damp instead of wet, and dry it on a form that fills the crown at its true size. No dryers, hair dryers, dishwashers or dashboards.

Keeping the sticker on the brim? Clean around it and keep the brim only lightly damp so the edges don’t lift. We go deeper on all of this in how to clean a fitted hat.

Snapbacks and adjustables

9FIFTY snapbacks and 9FORTY or 9TWENTY adjustables clean the same way, with a little more room for error since you can adjust the fit. Give the snap or strap a quick wipe while you’re at it, and let any metal hardware dry fully so it doesn’t spot. More here: how to clean a snapback.

Don’t do this

• Washing machine. The spin cycle bends brims and can crush a structured crown.
• Dishwasher. Hot water and harsh detergent are a bad mix for wool and fitteds. See our dishwasher breakdown.
• Bleach. It can yellow white fabric and damage wool.
• Hot water. It shrinks fabric, and on a fitted there’s no fixing that with a strap.
• Bending the brim while it’s wet. Shape it after it’s dry, if you shape it at all.

Still dirty after one clean?

Let it dry fully, then do a second gentle round. Dry fabric shows what’s really left. For a grimy bill, scrub along its length in short strokes. For a really stubborn spot, let it dry and repeat rather than pressing harder.

How often to clean it

Wipe the sweatband every couple of weeks if you wear the cap a lot. Do a full clean when it starts to look dull or smell. Light, regular cleans keep you from ever needing a big one.

FAQ

Can you put a New Era hat in the washing machine?

It’s risky. The spin cycle can bend the brim and warp the crown, and warm water can shrink wool. Hand cleaning is safer. Check the care tag inside your cap for what it says about your specific hat.

How do you clean a 59FIFTY without shrinking it?

Use cool water, keep the hat only damp, and air dry it on a form that fills the crown. Keep it away from all heat until it’s fully dry.

How do you clean the brim of a New Era hat?

Scrub along the bill with a soft brush and a little cleaner, then wipe with a damp cloth. If you keep the sticker on, work around it.

Can you wash a wool New Era hat?

Spot clean it with cool water and very little moisture. Dab more than you scrub, since wool can shrink and felt with heat and hard rubbing.