Cleaning original cloth caps

[Tubac]

Hi Gents,
Can anyone give me some suggestions on cleaning an original 19th century canvas cap?
One that I bought is pretty dirty and I'd like to remove the dirt with out harming the cap.
All suggestions will be appreciated.
Tubac

[Kentuckian]

I wouldn't clean it.

If you'd planned on wearing it, I'd have someone copy it and put the original up.

[River City John]

If it is sound in construction and weave and you just have to wash it, gentle soak in Woolite would be the most I'd attempt. Gentle rinse and let dry shaped. Do not wring.

I do wash all my cloth caps (not originals) this way, regardless of fabric whether wool or cotton.
(Now, I take that back in as one of my other hobbies is railroading and I do have an old engineers cap from the turn of the last century that I have cleaned in Woolite. It did not get all the staining out but it did 'snap' up the surface a bit.)
RCJ