Like anything else, felt cowboy hats will last longer if you care for them properly. Chances are your new hat cost you a pretty good chunk of change. Doesn't it make sense to take care of it?

So how do you keep it nice? We'll start with the obvious. Felt cowboy hats are hard to clean so let's try to keep it clean instead. Not an easy task considering how easily dirt attaches itself to the felt. That's why it's so important to wash your hands before grabbing for your hat. Dirt and skin oils are a pain to get out of felt.

OK, your hands are clean and your hat is sitting on the table. You're ready to pick it up and put it on. I bet your natural instinct is to just grab it by the crown. Wrong answer. Pick up your hat by the brim. And once it's on your head, adjust it by the brim as well. Don't push down or back and forth on the crown. This will cause the hat to lose it's shape. Using the front and back brim also helps keep the crown clean.

And why is your hat sitting on the table brim side down anyway? Obviously it's always best to store your hat in the original box. But if you don't have that box, be sure to set it upside down. This is so important if you want the brim to keep its original shape. Sit it on the brim, and the brim will flatten over time. The only time cowboy hats should be stored right side up is if you have a hat stand. Even in the original box, the box should be stored upside down. It's just another way to help the hat keep it's shape.

Here's another thing you must not do. Never store your felt cowboy hat where it can get really hot. For instance don't leave it in the car on a hot summer day and don't leave it near a heating vent when storing it in your house in the winter. At least avoid this if you want your hat to fit. Inside the brim of your hat is a sweat band. Excessive heat will shrink this band. The next thing you know your hat will be two sizes to small.

Of course you know you don't want your hat to get wet. But you also know that sometimes it is unavoidable. Chances are, you will need to reshape the brim. Do this carefully. And avoid the temptation to speed up the drying process by using a blow dryer or a heat lamp. Felt cowboy hats need to dry naturally if at all possible. A nifty trick you can try is turning the sweat band inside out. Then place the hat down on a table. With the sweat band turned down, the hat will actually be standing on the band. Finally, when your hat is completely dry, you can reshape it into it's proper form.

Truthfully, high quality felt cowboy hats won't be too damaged by a little water. But it's still worth the few dollars to invest in a cover for those days you know it is going to rain.

Simply following these few tips should keep your new cowboy hat looking good and fitting well for a long time.