Taking Care of your Hat
Do not expose your hat into rain or other contact with water. The toquilla straw absorbs water like a sponge and when dried out it may leave a stain and the straw in a weak condition.
Do not leave your hat exposed to the sun in the back of your car, next to a window or in any other closed atmosphere. Panama Hats need a little humidity to maintain the straw in good conditions and if you leave the hat in a warm area with no ventilation then the straws of your hat may dry up too quickly and turn breakable with time.
Handle your panama hat softly and do not put too much pressure because the areas that you handle the most become vulnerable with time, specially the tip of the crown of the Fedoras which is the favorite part for grabbing the hat.
Cleaning your Panama Hat
Under any circumstance use soap and water to clean your hat. If your panama hat gets dirty first try removing any mark by lightly rubbing it with a dry cloth but if not successful, try cleaning it with a moist facial or baby wipe that should remove most marks.
If nothing seems to work, try using a white eraser for pencil and aply it with little preassure against the stain. Block erasers usually work perfect, getting into little corners of the weave and cleaning large areas quickly.
Reshaping your Panama Hat
If your hat loses its form for any reason you can recover its original shape by steaming it over boiling water while shaping it up with your hands. If you need to reshape the brim you may iron it as long as you protect it using a cloth in between.
