Why would you even use a dishwasher?

I'd probably take a sponge, put some sort of soap on it, and scrub the dirty regions of the hat, and then take a wet paper towel and remove the soap, then let dry. This usually works for me on items that can't be put in the washing machine.
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Hi Jeff,

There are three basic concerns when washing baseball caps:
-Washing will change the shape of baseball caps.
-Washing will wreck the brim on baseball caps.
-Shrinkage - it was funny on Seinfeld but it is NOT funny when it comes to your favourite baseball hat.

Before you wash a baseball hat you need to get to know it a little better.
To start with, have a look at the little tag (usually on the inside edge) that tells all about what your baseball hats are made of and what the manufacturers instructions are for washing the baseball hats. If the tag is still there and you can read it that's great. Now you have some of the information you need to go ahead and wash your baseball cap safely, without shrinking it or wrecking the brim.

But if your baseball caps tag is gone or unreadable, or if you have some really old baseball caps that never had a tag (pre 1983), then extra care is required when cleaning.

Please check out this website for more details:
http://www.sport-smart.com/how-to-wash-baseball-hats-and-caps.asp
Source(s):
http://www.sport-smart.com/how-to-wash-baseball-hats-and-caps.asp

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There is what looks to be a fairly knowledgeable and tested description of how to wash a baseball cap with instructions here:
http://cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/howtowashacap.html

Specifically:
"1) If the cap has been made in the last ten years, and it's made of polyester or cotton, simply toss it in to the clothes washer with the rest of your clothes. After the wash, take it out and let it air dry. Viola! A clean cap."

This is via the good people at LifeHacker.
http://lifehacker.com/134055/how-to-wash-a-baseball-hat
They rarely post things like this that they haven't personally tested. So, unless this is your prized possession favorite hat, giver.

If this is your favorite or otherwise lucky hat... I'd stick with the hat cage in the dishwasher. This is the only way that I can say works well.
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The dishwasher works well-- if you can't borrow one, you can do a god job by hand.

You'll need a nail brush and dish soap--antibacterial if possible.

Fill the sink with hot water and a small amount of dishsoap--about a teaspoon. Too much soap will leave a residue that's almost impossible to get out, and the soap residue will attract more dirt.

Use the nail brush to scrub the sweatband, then soak the hat in the hot water/soap solution for about 10 minutes.

Rinse well, and reform while drying. Newspaper stuffed in a ziploc bag to approximately the shape of the hat works well.

Good luck!
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Unfortunately, I've had to wash many a baseball cap during the last few years.
What works best for me, and seems to be the safest as far as avoiding ruining the shape or color, is washing it by hand with a gentle detergent like Woolite.

I usually just fill my bathroom sink with warm water, add some Woolite, throw in the cap, and scrub it with a little brush. I then rinse it off, towel dry it, and it's good to go! There's no way you could harm the hat with this method.

I've also had good results washing caps in the washing machine in the past. It never ruined the shape at all, but I did once turn a white hat a light pink! For that, I was banned from washing them in the machine ever again.
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2 houers in cold water with 4 drop of dish soap. after 2 houers just hang on the wash rope.
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