How do you clean a snapback

A snapback is a baseball-style hat with a snap band on the back to adjust the size of the hat. A snapback is an alternative style to the fitted hat which is not adjustable.

Washing instructions for both styles are the same.

Ideally there will be a tag attached to the inside of the hat with washing instructions to follow. In the event that there is no such tag:

Wash a snapback in a washing machine with similar colored clothes in cool or warm water. They can be pretreated with a prewash spray. Never use hot water or bleach.

A snapback should be air-dried, never put in a clothes dryer.

There are plastic shape-savers that can be used to help the hat keep its shape during washing and air-drying. Contrary to popular suggestion, snapbacks should not be washed in a dishwasher due to the high heat.

Exceptions to this method are snapbacks that contain cardboard in the brim which may not stand up to machine washing, or a snapback that contains wool. Wool should be washed by hand with cool water and a mild detergent. A wool snapback should also be dried differently: it needs to be placed over an object that will help keep its shape, like a plastic shape-saver or a coffee can.

The snapback resurgence is often credited to Young Money rapper Tyga. In July 2011 he even released a track titled “Snapbacks Back” featuring Chris Brown.