How to remove odors from a hat?

[Viviene]

You can also get cat litter and put it in a container. Take the hat and put it in a brown paper bag and close it inside the container for a few days. The smoke smell will be gone. Please don't use the Febreeze. It just masks the odor and as stated above can weaken the fabric.

 

[Snrbfshn]

On the baking soda...

It seems to help, but I found it won't rid it of the odor. I've put hats sprinkled with baking soda, sitting on top of a plate filled with it, into bags and left them for two weeks. I then vacuum it off using a horsehair brush attachment.

Letting it sit outside in the sun for a good while helps, too. I haven't tried the Frebreeze yet, and would check colorfastness on a beater before trusting a treasured hat to it. I like the activated charcoal idea, too.

 

[WEEGEE]

KITTY LITTER

Viviene

You can also get cat litter and put it in a container. Take the hat and put it in a brown paper bag and close it inside the container for a few days. The smoke smell will be gone. Please don't use the Febreeze. It just masks the odor and as stated above can weaken the fabric.

Yes...This works!!!

 

[Tango Yankee]

What type?

You can also get cat litter and put it in a container. Take the hat and put it in a brown paper bag and close it inside the container for a few days. The smoke smell will be gone. Please don't use the Febreeze. It just masks the odor and as stated above can weaken the fabric.

There are a number of variations of cat litter. Are you referring to the plain clay type or the more modern clumping/multiple cats/etc types?

I've got a couple of cats. It took a bit to find a type they'd use.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[ideaguy]

Just received a great Resistol 25 from an eBay win; problem is, really strong
tobacco smell from box & hat. Box-burn it. But how do I get the tobacco smell out of the hat??? Any ideas??

 

[Colby Jack]

Well here's something to start with...Put the hat in a plastic bag with a couple of febreeze dryer sheets...let that sit over night. I'm sure there are other things you can do, but this will get you started on getting rid of the initial smell.

 

[KatintheHat]

When all real men wore hats...

They all smoked non-filtered ciggarettes.

 

[DerMann]

Try baking soda in lieu of the dryer sheets. Just try not to get it on the hat.

It's great stuff. Got the mildew smell out of my car overnight.

 

[Uncle Vern]

Stick the hat in a big box, fill it with crushed newspaper, put the lid on it and let it sit for a week. This method also de-stinks books.

 

[KY Gentleman]

Spray it with Fabreeze?

 

[Dinerman]

Steam it (outside), then let it sit (also outside or in the garage). Everything people here have mentioned also works.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

You can also try activated charcoal (like you get for aquarium filters NOT briquettes!) in the sealed bag. And I've also heard that coffee grounds (dry, fresh, unused) will also pull out odors and/or cover them up.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

When all real men wore hats...

They all smoked non-filtered ciggarettes.

Funny, I still do.

And it's a shame I know. My hats came through the smoke-free '30s, '40s, '50s, et al only to be smoked around by me here in the 21st century!!

This thread is great. If I ever want to sell my hats, I'll try these methods to spruce 'em up first.

Thanks for the question and answers, folks.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Sell my hats.

That's even funnier.

 

[duggap]

If you use a fabric softener in a plastic bag with your hat, make sure the fabric softener does not touch the hat itself or it will cause an unremovable stain.[huh]

 

[BobC]

Are any of these methods better than others for getting rid of musty odors? I received an Open Road that i won on e-bay that has apparently been stored for a long time. it has a musty odor, not really terrible but it's there.

I'm waiting for daylight to take pictures to post. It's been dark every day this week when I got home.

 

[KY Gentleman]

Sell my hats.

That's even funnier.

lol lol lol

 

[DerMann]

Are any of these methods better than others for getting rid of musty odors? I received an Open Road that i won on e-bay that has apparently been stored for a long time. it has a musty odor, not really terrible but it's there.

I'm waiting for daylight to take pictures to post. It's been dark every day this week when I got home.

Baking soda.

 

[bolthead]

Baking soda.

How exactly do you go about this anyway? [huh]

 

[BobC]

Mike Moore suggested to me to that I put the baking soda in a woman's knee high stocking then tie it up. I've found his advice to be dead on. The stocking keeps the baking soda contained while it absorbs any odors. It may take a while, but it works.