INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Look to see if the hat has a label of some sort. You might be able to find this under the brim. Once you find it, see if your hat is made up of baku, shantung, or any other material that can be washed with water. It is possible to have a straw hat that cannot be hand-washed. This probably will not be the case. Sometimes straw hats will have bands, ribbons, or other decorative pieces on them. If possible, you will want to remove these extra pieces. Don’t do this if the decorations are interwoven into the hat! Cleaning the ribbon isn’t difficult! You can dust and hand-wash it. Use a brush to lightly dust away anything that has ended up on the cloth. Also, you can spot clean the ribbon with a wet cloth. After you clean or dust the ribbon, you should use a small amount of steam to freshen it up. You might also try using an iron on a medium setting to go over the ribbon. The hat will probably have excess dirt and dust on it. So, you should use a soft bristle brush to scrub that dust and dirt away. You can generally find these at hardware and beauty supply stores. Gently brush the grime off. You don’t want to be too rough, because you can end up harming the fabric of the hat. For an incredibly dusty hat, you may need an extreme solution. You can try placing netting or pantyhose over a vacuum brush, then using a vacuum on the hat. Again, this should only be used in extreme cases. Combine equal parts hydrogen peroxide and warm water in a bowl or bottle. Then, you should either spray a soft cleaning cloth with the bottle, or dip a cloth in the bowl.  Don’t use a colored cloth because its dye will bleed into your hat. Test a small area of the hat with the solution to make sure it does not damage the hat. Once this has been verified, begin wiping the hat with the cloth. Swipe off as much dirt and grime as possible. Make sure that your cloth is damp, but not soaked. You don’t want to get your hat extremely wet. Combine a tablespoon of dish soap with a cup of hot water in a bowl or bottle. As you did before, dip your cloth in the bowl or spray your cloth with the bottle. Again, verify that the solution will not ruin your hat by placing a small amount on your hat. Rub the cloth in a circular motion to remove the dirt. While most straw hats should not be rinsed, this is a good option if the hat's label clearly says that it is OK to submerge it in water. Fill a bowl with warm water. Dip a cloth in the bowl, take it out, and run it over the entire hat. Put the hat in a cool place, preferably under a shadow, to let it dry. If your hat’s brim is curved, do not lay it on a flat surface.

SUMMARY: Make sure it can be cleaned. Remove any extras. Brush the hat. Vacuum an extremely dusty hat. Clean the hat with a peroxide solution. Clean the hat with soap solution. Rinse and dry the hat.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Clean the glass as you normally would, such as by glass cleaner or a dampened microfiber cloth. Make sure all debris is removed from the glass surface, then allow the glass to dry. Only use a bottle of clear nail polish for scratch treatment. Dip the applicator that comes with the bottle into the nail polish. You’ll have a small coating of polish to apply to the scratch. Rub the applicator over the scratch. Minimize contact with the surrounding glass as much as possible. When the polish comes off the brush, it will go down into the scratch and remove visible flaws. Leave the polish alone so it has a chance to seep down into the scratch. Come back in an hour prepared to remove the polish. Tip a bottle of nail polish remover gently against a clean cloth until you have a small spot of polish on the cloth. You only need enough to counteract the polish. Using the cloth, spread the polish remover over the scratch. Once you are sure all the nail polish is removed, you can admire your freshened glass.

SUMMARY: Clean the glass. Dip the applicator brush into the polish. Spread the polish over the scratch. Let the polish dry for an hour. Apply nail polish remover to a microfiber cloth. Wipe the scratch with the cloth.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You don't need to go out of your way to look ratty, but avoid obviously expensive clothing. Chances are you'll be negotiating over cheap items, and a fancy suit or dress tells the seller you can afford to pay full price. Don't forget to remove flashy jewelry and watches for the same reason. In the last hour or two before they pack up and leave, sellers will be eager to get rid of their remaining merchandise   The flip side of arriving late is a smaller selection. For maximum choice (but higher prices), arrive early. If the flea market is seasonal, the time of year can also have an effect on the price. When the flea market has just opened, sellers will have a large inventory from the off-season and may be eager to offload it so they have room to obtain more desirable goods. Once you've found your item, decide to yourself what you're willing to pay for it. Having a clear boundary will prevent you from being convinced to pay more than you are willing.  Never reveal this price to the seller! If you do, he has no reason to offer you a lower one. You can try browsing around first to get an idea for how similar items are selling, but there's no guarantee you'll find anything comparable, and the item may be snatched up in the meantime. Most vendors expect haggling, but offering less than 50% the asking price will only offend them. Asking for a 25 to 50% discount is usually considered reasonable as an initial counteroffer at a flea market, although the final price will more likely be 10-25% below the listed one. Saying "hmmm" or simply pausing before you reply will make you seem less willing to purchase the item. This gives you more bargaining power.  Simply remaining silent can cause them to respond with a better offer. This works better if you have the seller's full attention. If you're trying to buy a $1 keychain, the seller might just ignore you and move on to another customer! After a pause, respond with a new offer between your last one and the seller's current offer. Continue to show hesitation until the seller reduces the price below your secret "maximum price". If the seller won't reduce the price to that amount, try these other tactics:  Agree to their last offer on the condition they throw in another item you're interested in for a reduced rate.  Have a friend pretend to pull you away or convince you to move on. This may trigger a final offer from the seller.  If you don't have a friend handy, simply start walking away for the same effect. Once you try this, though, you won't get a better deal if you walk right back to the stall! Pull out the amount of cash you're offering and show it to the seller to tempt them directly. Don't try this with a large amount of money, or anywhere with a high risk of pickpocketing or mugging.

SUMMARY:
Dress down. Arrive at the end of the day. Secretly decide on a maximum price. Make a low but reasonable offer. Show hesitation before responding to their counteroffer. Continue negotiating until you agree on a price or the seller balks.