Miss a connecting flight? Call to airline advised

Heloise

Dear Heloise: There are many airline passengers who miss connecting flights for myriad reasons.

If this should happen, use your cellphone to call customer service of the airline you are using to book the next flight available. You stand a better chance of getting a seat, and it’s faster than standing in line.

Readers: Check out the next two hints for more about flying.

Dear Heloise: Take all of your “in-flight necessities” and place them in a gallonsize plastic bag. Leave it on your seat as you are storing your overhead gear. This way, you won’t block the aisle or hold up the boarding process looking for these items before you settle in. —

Dear Heloise: When traveling with a baby, make sure your diaper bag fits under the seat in front of you. This makes it easier to retrieve, if necessary.

Dear Heloise: I’m writing to ask you how I can clean off my family’s tombstones in the cemetery. They are so dark, I can’t read them anymore. —

May, you didn’t mention the material used for the grave markers, but here are some suggestions:

Gather these supplies together:

• A bucket of distilled water.

• A gentle cleaner or soap (non-ionic is best, but there are others you can use).

• A nylon-bristled brush, sponges, old kitchen towels or T-shirts.

For granite, wipe down the headstone with water and a mild soap. Then wet a nylon-bristled brush and gently scrub the surface. Wipe with clean water and dry with old dish towels.

For marble, wet the stone first with water. If there is any growth on the stone, remove it using a plastic or wooden scraper. (A plastic spatula works well.) Use a gentle soap (non-ionic) to wash down the headstone. If there is a significant buildup, you might have to use a nylon brush.

For limestone, use the methods recommended for marble.

Dear Heloise: Hate the smell of wet paint? Just put 1 ounce of vanilla in gallon of paint, and that will help kill the odor. —

Dear Heloise: Please tell your readers to get their heating and cooling units cleaned and inspected once a year. We didn’t bother with that step for six years, and now we’re faced with replacing our unit, at a cost of thousands of dollars. — Jon and Andrea L. in Pittsburgh

Dear Heloise: I couldn’t hear the dryer buzzer (in the basement) go off, especially when the television was on, so I bought an inexpensive baby monitor. I placed the nursery unit by the dryer and the parent unit upstairs with me. No more wrinkled clothes. Heloise answers letters only in her King Features Syndicate column. Write her at P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 782795000 or send a fax to 1-210-HELOISE.