Allenworsham
New in Town
- Messages
- 27
- Location
- United States
I have 2 felt fedoras in good shape from the late 1940's to early 1950's that belonged to my Grandfather who passed in 1959. They had been stored in a hat box since his death up in a garage. The box got a bit of water damage to it and the hats have strong musty smell, but there is no mold, mildew, rot or bug issues and the felt is clean. I have taken the hats in and have had them steamed and shaped as well as replacing the ribbon on one of them.
I have read online a number of suggestions which included just letting them air in the sun, spraying with Frebreeze, spraying them with White Vinegar, put the hat in a sealed tub with Baking Soda or Cat Litter or Activated Charcoal, and the most aggressive one was to soak the hat in Naptha/Coleman Fuel. Now the hats are in good condition apart from the musty smell and the felt is completely clean so no grime or crud in the felt. I have tried airing out the hats for awhile as well as trying the hats in a sealed tub with baking soda. I have also tried spraying them with some white vinegar and some Febreeze, but the hats smell musty Febreeze. I saw a couple of videos online of people dunking and swishing some dirty hats in Naptha/Coleman Fuel which cleaned the hats pretty good, but my hats are clean with no grime and crud on them and I am very concerned with the ribbons on these hats as one ribbon is an original silk wrap that is flimsy already.
So any help or suggestions with this would be much appreciated.
These are the 2 felt hats
I have read online a number of suggestions which included just letting them air in the sun, spraying with Frebreeze, spraying them with White Vinegar, put the hat in a sealed tub with Baking Soda or Cat Litter or Activated Charcoal, and the most aggressive one was to soak the hat in Naptha/Coleman Fuel. Now the hats are in good condition apart from the musty smell and the felt is completely clean so no grime or crud in the felt. I have tried airing out the hats for awhile as well as trying the hats in a sealed tub with baking soda. I have also tried spraying them with some white vinegar and some Febreeze, but the hats smell musty Febreeze. I saw a couple of videos online of people dunking and swishing some dirty hats in Naptha/Coleman Fuel which cleaned the hats pretty good, but my hats are clean with no grime and crud on them and I am very concerned with the ribbons on these hats as one ribbon is an original silk wrap that is flimsy already.
So any help or suggestions with this would be much appreciated.
These are the 2 felt hats