Handy Hint: May 25, 2015
Save hats from washing machine wear and tear
It's an age-old conflict between the farm wife and her farmer: She wants to wash his favorite (and filthy) farm cap, but he doesn't want it ruined in the washer.
The solution I have found is to simply push the dirty cap, bill first, into the sleeve of a sturdy coat down to the bottom cuff (I use an insulated hooded sweatshirt). Zip up the coat, and wash it in a cold cycle with your other laundry.
Remove the wet cap, and hang it on a peg to dry. No more bent or broken bills or crushed and misshapen crowns. The cap is crisp, clean and ready to be worn again.
Laura Leiby, Wisconsin