Club Obi Wan

So I recently purchased a vintage cowboy hat from ebay with the intention of renovating it into a nice new hat. The problem is that the hat wreaks of smoke. Has anyone ever used Febreze on a fur felt hat? If so, does it stain/discolor the hat in any way? Does it get the smell out fairly effectively? Thanks for any input.

Indy Green

After my Beaver felt gets wet from rain or sweat it does get an odor to it and occasionally requires a freshening up. I have used Febreeze on it frequently and it doesn't stain, discolor, or cause any problemss on my fedora. It does a good job with most odors.

Beaverlid

Awesome, thanks alot beaverlid! You know, even though it does work on odors, I honestly feel like Febreze is falsely advertised. If you notice in the commercials, people just spray it all over the place like it was just a regular air freshener. When in reality, it completely soaks stuff and takes a while to dry. That's just my two cents though

Thanks again for the help

Indy Green

I've used it with no ill effects. I also recommend letting it air out the open air for a while.

If you're planning a total reblock that should help some too.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

If you're planning a total reblock that should help some too.

Yeah, especially if you wash the hat in naptha, or rather, soak it overnight. Gets out salt stains and odors. The thing about felt is that it will absorb outside odors very easily. From smoke to hamburgers. But this means it will absorb nice odors as well.

Fedora,

I hope I'm not off topic, but I'd like your opinion on naptha. Can you use it as a spot remover? Is it the main ingredient in most hat cleaning products? Since naptha is used in products like lighter fluid, I figured it would have a detrimental effect on natural beaver fur. Look forward to your answers.

Matt

Matt, old time hatters used a gasoline bath to soak and clean hats back in the day, so it's far from a new concept. Just don't smoke while using the stuff. You can use the naptha as a spot remover, but make sure you're wearing gloves and that you do this outdoors or in a very well ventilated area. I've done this with a vintage sand colored Borsalino to some success. (I never got around to finishing the job. )