Hat smell...

[Fatdutchman]

Ok, when my favorite hat gets wet, it smells like a wet dog. Well, not all that bad, but I can sure detect it. I guess considering that it is made of animal hair...

anybody else? What can you do about it, if anything?

 

[warbird]

I've never had that problem with anything but wool hats. Could be your sweat and the dirt from wear just coming out when it gets wet. Maybe a naptha bath or a good spray of Lysol would help.

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

Have you (carefully) tried "Febreze"?
Steaming the hat (over a water kettle) also might remove some bad smell and, as I have indicated in another thread, I have powdered talcum ("Johnson's baby powder") on the hat, after steaming and brushing (with a hat sponge), then brushing again, until the powder is "gone". The hat should be dry (from steam...) before you powder it with talcum. I suggest, whilst powdering, or thereafter brushing it, you don't breathe the stuff in, some health hazards have been alleged.
The hat smells very nice, after that operation.

 

[Fatdutchman]

I'll try that.

It's not all that bad, and only when I've been out in the rain, but I have a sensitive nose... Dry, it has no smell at all.

 

[D.W. Suratt]

I have a vintage tan Lee that I bought off e-bay that does the same thing. I used a spray bottle to wet it and shape it, and it smelled really bad. It's one of the softest felts I've ever seen, and I know it's not wool.

 

[warbird]

Then I'd say it's sweat and dirt from decades of age.

You guys may just have a sensitive smeller too. All of them have a bit of odor, especially with steam but not usually much with water. Wool smells much more than fur unless it is dirty. It's the kind of dirt you don't necessarily see, but it's there.

 

[Dewhurst]

If it is raining pretty badly I tend to put a clear hat cover on whatever fedora I am going to wear out. [huh]

 

[Justdog]

Smelly

Yes I got my Adams clone wet and it smelt like old fur[huh] . But after it dried naturally, I,M talking real wet. It was fine. Have yet to do that to one of my stetsons.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

I know what you're talking about. I have a lot of vintage hats and I use water to shape them.

Several of them have given that musty smell when wet. I suspect it may well be old imbedded nicotene. I know all the hats on Ebay come from smoke-free homes but many of these hats came through the '30s, '40s, '50s, etc.

I am a smoker so I'm not taking a cheap shot at the similarly addicted among us. It may be the factual reason for the funk, however.

 

[Fatdutchman]

This hat I have is relatively new. I have no idea how new, though.

Hey, Gene, I like that two-tone .45. I never could shoot the 1911, though, just doesn't fit me. I'm a S&W revolver man.

 

[dhermann1]

My 1948 Dobbs Gay Prince must have had 10 million Chesterfields smoked under its wide brim. I'm planning on having it completely refurbished at Optimo.

 

[tonyb]

Just getting wet seems to "reactivate" certain odors. Hand washing old garments has been known to raise more than a whiff of moth balls, for instance.

Might putting the hat in a plastic bag with a fair amount of loose baking soda help? You know, maybe line the bottom of the bag with baking soda, and then put in the hat, but elevate it on something so that it doesn't make direct contact with the baking soda.

Just speculatin'.

 

[barrowjh]

They all have an animal odor when wet (which includes steaming the crown for a re-bash) - hey, its animal fur! Some more than others, for all the reasons mentioned above, plus differences in the type of fur and differences in the way the fur was processed. I use small bags of lavender and store one in each hat box. Whenever I put a hat back in the box after several wearings, I pick up that little baggie and squeeze it a few times to stir up those dried lavender flowers and then bang it against the hat all around, then turn the hat down and put it in the box, and then drop the lavender baggie into the crown and close the box.

 

[bolthead]

If it is raining pretty badly I tend to put a clear hat cover on whatever fedora I am going to wear out. [huh]

Not I, that's what the good ones were made for IMO. [huh]

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Hey, Gene, I like that two-tone .45. I never could shoot the 1911, though, just doesn't fit me. I'm a S&W revolver man.

fftopic:
That 1911 style in my avatar is actually a Colt 10mm which was some kind of dealer promo piece. It's serial number is only three-digits. You'd really get a "kick" out of it!

But a S&W revolver is my everyday carry weapon of choice, so I'm with you there, man.

 

[Andykev]

Smells like FUR

Most FELT hats have and "odor" when wet. Yes...a wet beaver or rabbit. Let it dry.

Second: Who advocated baby powder on the hat. Huh????

That will only be an additional "dust" that has to be brushed off. The pleasant smell? "Think baby bath diaper". Really!

Third: Clean your hat by consulting a professional HATTER (ie. Optimo), or if you are a do-it-yourself person, use NAPTHA.

Search the LOUNGE for tips on cleaning a hat.

Baby powder and Fabreeze....Lordy!

 

[Caity Lynn]

Help!!! I wore my hat to a friends, who's family smoke like chimneys.I have an incredibly sensitive nose, and can't deal with the smell...how can I get it out?

It's not a great quality hat, so I'm guessing steaming is out, I suspect it has cardboard under the fabric for shape. What can I do?

 

[nickn5]

Seems like fresh air is a great cure for smoke (tobacco) smells, usually. I received a used men's jacket (not vintage) this morning I won on Ebay, smelt strongly of stale smoke. Hung it out on the clothes line all day and it is noticeably better.
Since then have also applied some Febreze Classic to it which has also helped some, but it's no miracle worker, for sure.
Have heard tell that Baking Soda works well, applied to dry fabrics for 24 hours and vacuumed off afterwards, or added to rinse cycle in washing machine when that's possible.
One thing that Febreze / Baking Soda / Fresh Air can't remove is the tiny smoke/tar particles that adhere to surfaces. A good brushing or sponging might do this for a hat.

N.

 

[randooch]

On some other smelly thread a while ago I read that smells can be dealt with by surrounding the hat with crumpled newspaper in a tightly sealed box for a few days. Intriguing.

 

[rumblefish]

Back in my dirt-biking days I would put a unused bar of soap in my helmet after a race or a practice. After a two hour hare scramble that Bell Moto would STANK if i did nothing to it. But after a few days with the bar of soap- not so bad. Betcha it would work on the hat.