How to Clean a Golf Hat (Sweat, Sunscreen and All)

Here’s how to clean a golf hat: brush off the dry dirt, work a mild cleaner into the sweatband and any sunscreen marks with a soft brush, wipe it down with a damp cloth, and air dry it on a form out of the sun. Most golf hats are polyester performance fabric, so they clean up easier than cotton caps.

The hard part isn’t the fabric. It’s the combo of sweat, sunscreen and four hours in the sun that leaves golf hats with greasy brims and yellow sweatbands.

The quick answer

1. Check the care tag. Many golf hats are polyester and say hand wash or spot clean.
2. Brush off dry dirt and grass.
3. Pre-treat sunscreen stains with a drop of dish soap and let it sit for 5 minutes.
4. Scrub the sweatband and outer panels with a soft brush and mild cleaner in cool or lukewarm water.
5. Wipe off the suds with a damp cloth.
6. Air dry on a rolled towel or ball. Performance fabric usually dries in 1 to 3 hours.

What you’ll need

• A soft-bristle brush and an old toothbrush
• Mild cleaner: hat foam, or a few drops of mild dish soap in lukewarm water
• Plain dish soap for sunscreen spots (the grease-cutting kind)
• A microfiber cloth
• Something round to dry it on

How to clean a golf hat, step by step

Step 1: Dry brush

Knock off dried grass, sand from the bunker and dust with a dry brush. If there’s caked mud on the brim, let it dry fully and flake it off first. Wet mud smears.

Step 2: Pre-treat sunscreen stains

Sunscreen is oil-based, so plain water just slides over it. Put a small drop of dish soap directly on the stain and work it in gently with your finger or a toothbrush. Let it sit for about 5 minutes so it can break up the oil. This is the step that makes the biggest difference on golf hats.

One heads-up: some sunscreens contain avobenzone, which can react with minerals in water and leave orange or rusty stains on light fabric. If you see orange marks on a white golf hat, treat them early and skip bleach, which can make them worse.

Step 3: Scrub the sweatband

Golf hats see a lot of sweat. Flip the hat and scrub the whole band with your cleaner, using light to medium pressure. Most golf hats have a moisture-wicking band that’s pretty tough, so you can be a little more thorough here than you would on cotton. Our sweat stain guide covers stubborn yellow lines.

Step 4: Clean the outside

Brush the panels in small circles with your cleaner. Go lightly over embroidered logos and rubber or heat-pressed patches. Heat-pressed logos can peel if you scrub at the edges.

Step 5: Wipe and dry

Wipe off the soap with a damp cloth. Two or three passes. Then set the hat on a form. Polyester performance fabric dries fast, usually in 1 to 3 hours with airflow. Cotton golf hats take longer, around 4 to 6.

Cleaning performance fabric golf hats

Performance fabric is usually polyester or a poly-spandex blend designed to wick sweat. It handles water better than cotton and won’t shrink as easily, but a few things still hurt it:

• Fabric softener. It coats the fibers and kills the wicking. Skip it.
• High heat. Polyester can warp and the brim can bend. No dryer.
• Heavy detergent. Leftover soap holds onto smells. Use a small amount and wipe it all off.

If you’ve got a running or training hat made of the same stuff, the same rules apply. We cover those in how to clean a performance hat.

How to clean a golf visor

Visors are the easiest of all. There’s no crown to lose shape, so you can be a bit more relaxed with water. Brush off dirt, scrub the sweatband with mild cleaner, treat sunscreen on the brim with dish soap, and wipe it down. Dry it flat or standing on its edge.

Many visors have a terry or foam sweatband. Terry can take a decent scrub. Foam can tear, so press and wipe rather than scrubbing hard.

Still stained? Try this

Problem	What to try
Greasy marks on the brim	Dish soap on a toothbrush, sit 5 minutes, wipe
Yellow sweatband	Second round of cleaner, let it sit before brushing
Orange or rust spots on white	Treat with dish soap, no chlorine bleach
Grass stains	Mild cleaner, gentle brush, repeat once dry
Hat smells even after cleaning	Dry fully, then use a fabric deodorizer in the band

For a white golf hat that’s yellowing all over, our guide to washing a white hat has more options.

Can you put a golf hat in the washing machine?

Some all-polyester golf hats come out fine on a gentle cold cycle in a cap cage. Hats with a structured front or a cardboard-stiff brim often don’t. If the tag says hand wash, hand wash. More in our washing machine guide.

Mistakes to avoid

• Leaving a sweaty hat in the golf bag or a hot trunk. Smells set in fast.
• Hot water on cotton golf hats.
• Scrubbing heat-pressed logos at the edges.
• Drying it on the dashboard.

How often should you clean a golf hat?

If you play every weekend, wipe the sweatband after each round, or at least once a week. Do a full clean every few weeks in summer and whenever sunscreen marks show up. Let it air out after every round instead of tossing it straight into the bag.

FAQ

How do you get sunscreen out of a golf hat?

Put a small drop of dish soap on the stain, work it in gently, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then brush lightly and wipe with a damp cloth. Repeat once if needed.

Can you wash a golf hat in the dishwasher?

We wouldn’t. The heat and harsh detergent are rough on brims and colors. Hand cleaning takes about 10 minutes and is much easier on the hat.

How do I keep my golf hat from smelling?

Let it air out after every round, clean the sweatband often, and make sure it’s fully dry before storing it. A fabric deodorizer in the band helps between washes.

Do golf hats shrink when washed?

Polyester golf hats rarely shrink in cool or lukewarm water. Cotton ones can shrink with hot water or dryer heat, so stick to air drying.