White residue on Stetson hat

[Martin6]

Howdy,

I am a hat amateur, and so I bought a black Stetson 4x Beaver on a whim because I liked the sort-of lightly-speckled look it had. I also liked the style and fit.

Then... it got wet, and then the white speckles turned into large white stains. (Which later wiped off mostly with a damp cloth.) Turns out maybe the stiffener was applied wrong or something like that?

So... is there anything I can/should do, or just enjoy it as is and try not to get it wet?

Thanks.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Howdy,

I am a hat amateur, and so I bought a black Stetson 4x Beaver on a whim because I liked the sort-of lightly-speckled look it had. I also liked the style and fit.

Then... it got wet, and then the white speckles turned into large white stains. (Which later wiped off mostly with a damp cloth.) Turns out maybe the stiffener was applied wrong or something like that?

So... is there anything I can/should do, or just enjoy it as is and try not to get it wet?

Thanks.

Sounds like the white speckles were mold spores to me & now the spores are growing into blotches after getting wet. The hat may have been stored in a damp humid environment like a musty basement or garage & that’s where the spores started. First make sure the felt is completely dry after you got it wet. Set it in the sun for a couple hrs if necessary. Once you are certain that the felt is dry use a medium stiff brush (bristles similar to a toothbrush for stiffness) & thoroughly brush the felt clean (counterclockwise on topside, clockwise on bottom side). Do this outdoors so as not to introduce those spores inside your living space. I would then use the furniture duster brush on a canister vacuum cleaner to vacuum the hat, if you have one available. Or finish up with a fine horsehair brush. In the future make sure your hat is thoroughly dry before you store it away. Unless you live in a humid, wet environment no further precautions should be necessary.