Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I have a nice col-lection of straw — or strawlike — hats. But they get squished in the storing process in my closet. How to revive them? — Penny K.
Dear Penny: Use a steamer, or place them in a closed bathroom while you're showering. Try a hair dryer to get the fiber more pliable, then shape and/ or stuff with newspaper and let dry. Hair clips can hold the shape in place while the hat dries.
Place a towel on the part needing a fix, then iron on low, with or without steam function. Used with care, the ironing can help give the fiber enough flexibility to be reshaped. Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I got some great cargo shorts as a gift, but after a few months going through the laundry, the Velcro strips around the pockets have started to pick up lint of various colors.
So, since these are shorts and I'm not wearing them to make a fashion statement, should I care? If I should, then what should I do? — Gerald J. Dear Gerald: If you only wear the pants to clean out the gutters or paint the kids' room, etc.: Don't care.
If you don't really need a tight seal on the pockets (and thus some trustworthy sticky Velcro): Don't care. If they're your favorite shorts and the gunky Velcro bothers you — either its looks or non-function — yes, care. And attack the problem: ■Remove top layer of fuzz with fingers, some super-sticky tape or a lint-remover brush.
■ For embedded stuff, use a pin, a needle, tweezers, a skinny long nail, etc. Also, a fine-toot.