Source
fortytw2•

Mines also a little rough over time (but not like this, primarily mineral sunscreen buildup). Have you tried using a dishwasher cap washer frame?

5
MrTreesy•

Yeah, give it a scrub with a brush and toss in the washing machine or dishwasher; use the frame to prevent warping.

Might be slightly discoloured after but it’ll be a lot better than this.

2
thisethOP•

hadn't subjected it to the dishwasher method yet, but will give it a try.

1
thisethOP•

i thought of sunscreen, too, but ruled that out because, a) i only wore it once, and b) the worst of it is on the outside of the hat, while there's almost nothing on the sweatband.

1
gardensonfire•

Did you run it through the wash after wearing it?

Edit: the reason I ask is because, due to the nature of the supermarine and/or ventile fabric (it swells when exposed to water, giving it its waterproof characteristics), if you used a detergent on it, what you’re probably seeing is a retention of that detergent.

2
thisethOP•

nope. haven't washed it. wore it once for a few hours, can't remember if it rained or not. and that's what it looked like 4 months later.

1
gardensonfire•

In that case, definitely do what others have advised and try giving it a cold wash, without any detergent. Might help to let it soak a while too. Then let it air dry. Toss it in the dryer after that for about 20 minutes on low to refresh the dwr.

2
kr433•

dried sweat salt stains from the body. very common for us in the Air Force. it just needs the approved cleaning method.

5
thisethOP•

this is the only thing that makes sense! thank you. good to know it's a feature of the fabric and not a production bug.

3
kr433•

we have salt stains on everything from the beatdown heat flight-line. 🛫😁

2
thisethOP•

this fixed it right up. i did a gentle scrub, then ran it in a mold in the dishwasher without soap. good as new. thanks.

2
canadianhoops1234•

Mine looks the same.

2
thisethOP•

so weird. i wonder if that means there's something off with the fabric. quite a bummer.

1