Can I fix musty straw hats?

Don’t throw them away!!! Please put them outside in bright sunlight for a day or so. . Sunlight works miracles.

(I can radiate them with high energy UV-C if you like. That works miracles too but they might end up discolored. I radiated a friend’s gym shoes that were beyond washing. They turned yellow.)

I have never washed a straw hat, but I have washed hand made baskets by this same method.

Straw hats should be able to be washed if you first remove everything that might be damaged by water. To remove a musty smell (think mold), use part vinegar, part water. Vinegar kills mold. Just enough vinegar in the water to make it slightly sour to the taste should work. Then dunk your hat in it, and get it all wet. Let sit for just a few minutes (don’t let the straw get mushy), and then rinse in clean water. To dry, shape it, and dry it on a wire rack where air can get to it on both sides easily.