Never Rest It on the Brim
A brim carries the weight of the crown badly. Left face-down on a table for a week it flattens at the front and no amount of steam brings the curve fully back. Store the hat upside down on its crown, or on a hook that takes the sweatband rather than the felt.
Dust Dry, Spot Clean Wet
A soft brush, moving anticlockwise with the nap, takes off almost everything. For a mark that will not lift, a barely damp cloth and a little patience beat any cleaning product sold for the purpose. Sweatband stains come out with cold water and a toothbrush, and only cold – warm water sets them.
If It Gets Soaked
Reshape it while it is still wet, then let it dry away from radiators and sunlight, standing on its crown. Heat is what ruins a wet hat, not water. A shower’s worth of steam afterwards will lift the nap again and take out the last of the creases.
