Brush the beret with a stiff-bristled hat or clothing brush to remove dust, lint and debris.

Apply lint removal tape to detach especially stubborn lint.

Spot clean small stains. Dampen a dry piece of cloth with fabric stain remover and then press against the stain to saturate. Wipe the cloth gently back and forth. Rinse the spot thoroughly with a water-dampened cloth and lay the beret flat to dry.

Take wool berets to your dry-cleaner. Washing it with water may result in shrinkage.

Hand-wash fleece or cotton berets. Fill your sink or washtub with cold water and add a small capful of a gentle formula liquid detergent. After soaking and swishing the hat in the water for a few minutes, rinse it thoroughly under cold water.

Lay the beret flat to dry on a terry cloth towel.

Wrap the beret in a plastic bag.

Lay the wrapped beret in a small hat box -- photo storage boxes often work well, too.

Place a lavender sachet or moth balls inside the box to keep pests away.