How To Clean Up A Cemetery Stone

Tombstone cleaning — Basic supplies and a little elbow grease can assist restore many gravemarkers.
Photo © iStock.com/zbg2

Over time, exposure to the elements will cause tombstones, flat or slanted stone headstones, bronze memorial gravemarkers, memorial benches and other types of monuments to deteriorate. Among many causes, things such as sunlight, rain and snow, fluctuating temperatures, tree sap and falling leaves, bird debris, plant growth, and even a cemetery'due south irrigation system will mostly bear on the condition of your loved one'southward memorial. Fortunately, a few bones cleaning supplies and some elbow grease can dramatically improve the advent of a cemetery tombstone, headstone, gravemarker or memorial.

Important: What Non to Practice

Whatsoever give-and-take about cleaning a headstone, mark or memorial must begin with a few cautions about the various things you lot should non practise. Foremost, never attempt to clean a gravestone, marker or cemetery memorial that does not "vest to you." In other words, if the deceased was not a member of your immediate family unit, y'all should non attempt whatsoever cleaning efforts without the express written consent of the owner/immediate family. In July 2022, for example, a well-pregnant lensman faced criminal charges subsequently he seriously damaged numerous historic tombstones in a Tennessee cemetery in order to improve the legibility of the inscriptions earlier taking pictures.

In addition, exercise non attempt to clean a headstone, marker or memorial that exhibits physical damage or instability. Amongst other things, signs of physical damage might include chipping, smashing, peeling, pitting, etc., of the surface; weathering of the inscription that renders it hard/incommunicable to read; or (plain) missing portions of the tombstone/marker. Moreover, you should not try to make clean a mark that wobbles or might fall over/apart when you touch it.

Every bit noted in a higher place, temperature fluctuations can affect the condition of cemetery monuments over time, simply they can besides impact the success of your basic cleaning efforts on whatever given 24-hour interval. Therefore, you should non try to make clean a headstone, mark or memorial on a very hot or very cold twenty-four hours. Hard, dark stone, such as granite, and cast-metal markers grow surprisingly hot due to direct sunlight and/or college temperatures, which can result in the rapid evaporation of the water you'll need for basic cleaning. And cold/freezing temperatures will also impact your cleaning efforts, in improver to merely making you feel uncomfortable and in a hurry to finish.

Finally, never use household soap, dishwashing liquid, detergent, wax or any other cleaning production when cleaning a headstone, gravemarker or monument, regardless of how prophylactic or gentle it claims to be on various surfaces. (This includes biodegradable and/or all-natural/organic products.) These products can prove acidic, abrasive and/or leave a residue on surfaces that volition actually concenter dirt in the future.

Materials You lot Will Need

Water: While a garden hose could conveniently provide all of the water you will demand, in most cases this will bear witness impossible. Therefore, you lot volition probably need to bring h2o with you lot — and carry it from your parking spot to the gravesite — then plan accordingly. Five gallons (~19 liters) is easily the minimum you should bring to clean even the smallest of cemetery markers, but the more water you lot have bachelor, the improve. A glass or plastic carboy, similar those used for dwelling house or office water coolers, typically holds about 5-half dozen gallons (~19-23 liters) and is user-friendly to transport.

Sponge: Y'all volition need at least one natural or "sea" sponge to help yous wet/wipe downwardly the gravemarker during cleaning. Avert using those cheap colored sponges because the dyes can actually transfer to rock and stain information technology, and resist the temptation to use one of those two-sided kitchen sponges with the "scrubby side" for the same reason.

Scraping Tools: Moss, lichen, algae and other organic growths flourish on the flat surfaces of gravestones, monuments and other markers when damp/shady conditions be, besides as those difficult-to-clean areas in/effectually inscriptions. Therefore, yous might need a few woods or plastic scraping implements (do not use metal) of varying sizes to help remove these growths. Popsicle sticks, wood or nylon kitchen spatulas, bamboo "kabob" skewers, plastic toothed scrapers designed for cleaning cast-fe griddles, etc., can all testify handy.

Brushes: Y'all should bring at least two brushes — a toothbrush and a larger scrub-blazon brush with soft bristles made from nylon or natural fibers. Like your sponges, these bristles should be uncolored so the dye doesn't transfer to the stone and stain it. Whatsoever yous exercise, do non use a brush with metal bristles, such as a BBQ/grill brush, or steel-wool pads, which can scratch the polished surface/coating of stone and metal markers.

Towels & Other Stuff: Bring plenty of erstwhile towels you don't care about in order to dry off the cemetery marker and your hands. If yous have sensitive skin, or just don't like getting muddied, condom gloves are nice. You'll demand at least one bucket to hold water and make information technology easier to wet/rinse your brushes and scraping tools, only two is better. A plastic trash bag will testify handy for hauling away dead leaves, sometime blossom memorials, soiled towels, etc. Finally, bring a camera with you and accept a photograph of the marker or monument before you clean it, and and then after. You will feel amazed at the visual differences between the two images — all due to your effort and care!

How to Clean a Cemetery Gravestone, Marker or Memorial

First, remove whatsoever loose dead leaves, one-time flower memorials, twigs/branches, etc., from around your loved ane'south marker or monument. This unproblematic act solitary oft significantly improves its appearance.

Next, thoroughly moisture the headstone, gravemarker or memorial using your sponge and/or by pouring water over the surface(s) you wish to make clean. Throughout the cleaning process, you lot should avoid dry-to-dry surface contact, so always keep the surface to be cleaned wet, and oft dip/soak whatever cleaning implement you lot're using in fresh water. And remember to change the water in your bucket(s) ofttimes so it's clean.

Later thoroughly soaking your sponge in make clean water, utilise it to remove clay by rubbing along the marker or monument'south surface in a circular movement, starting from the lesser, not the summit. (For flat markers, start from one side and move to the other side.) The reason for this is that you demand to rinse the cleaned surface often with fresh water throughout this process; starting at the top allows the muddy water to flow downward, possibly staining other areas yous've however to make clean.

Once you have completely wiped the surface(s) with your sponge, rinse the marker or monument thoroughly with make clean water. After the rinse water drains, examine the surface for any areas that need additional attention due to moss, lichen, algae or other organic growths, or particularly dirty/soiled spots. On these, again thoroughly wet the surface then carefully use your wet brush(es), sponge(s) and/or scraping tool(s) to remove the offending growths or dirt.

Again, rinse the marker or monument thoroughly with clean/fresh water, and echo equally necessary until you lot are happy with the results.

Sources:
"'Person of interest' identified in case of damaged celebrated gravestones at Hawkins church," by Jeff Bobo, July 29, 2022. www.timesnews.cyberspace. Retrieved July 06, 2022. http://e-edition.timesnews.cyberspace/article/9079536/suspect-allegedly-damaged-historic-gravestones-at-hawkins-church