Care guide
Wool is low-maintenance, not no-maintenance
Three rules, thirty seconds of effort, years of service. Here's everything your hat asks of you.
Air it, mostly
After a session, hang it by the loop or set it brim-down somewhere airy. Wool is naturally antimicrobial and self-freshens overnight — most weeks, that's all the care it needs.
Rinse rarely, by hand
A few times a year, rinse in cool water with a drop of wool soap. Squeeze gently — never wring, never machine wash, never tumble dry. Wool has feelings, and they're all about agitation.
Reshape, dry flat
Pat out the excess water in a towel, shape the dome with your hands, and let it dry flat away from direct heat. It'll hold its bell shape for years if you give it this one courtesy.
The fine print
It smells like a sauna. Is that bad?
That’s the souvenir. Airing overnight resets it. If you want it gone entirely, a cool rinse and a flat dry brings the hat back to neutral.
My hat got soaked in the plunge pool
No harm done — wool insulates even when damp. Squeeze it out gently, reshape, dry flat. Avoid radiators and direct sun while drying; fast heat is how felt shrinks.
A few fibers are pilling off
Normal for the first weeks of a hand-felted hat. Pluck pills off by hand or with a wool comb — the surface settles down with use.
How long should it last?
With the three rules above: years. The felt actually improves — it molds slightly to your head and gets character. Many banya hats outlive the benches they hang beside.
Off-season storage?
Dry it fully, then store somewhere ventilated — the linen pouch from our gift set is made for exactly this. Avoid sealed plastic; wool likes to breathe.
Don’t have one to care for yet?
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