What Can I Use To Clean Marble Headstone

Best way to clean a headstone.

What can i use to clean marble headstone. Repeat this process approximately every 18 months. How to clean a marble headstone. This is the opposite of an all to common assumption that extreme measures given the contaminants should be used on exterior marble cleaning. Never use power washers to clean white marble gravestones as the force can destroy the patina.

Cleaning gravestones with bleach is never a good idea church said but it s especially bad when you re working on porous stone. What not to do. However it still must be a very gentle cleaning. Make and apply a poultice if steps 1 to 3 fail to remove the mold and mildew stains on the marble headstone make a poultice with cotton balls hydrogen peroxide and ammonia.

With a careful gentle hand and a bit of elbow grease you can refresh a headstone or grave marker making it easier to read and restoring some of the stone s beautiful finish as first created by the crafting stonemason. In knowing how to clean a marble headstone properly you adopt the gentlest least invasive practices to preserve the longevity of the stone. How to clean marble headstones. Soak the stone by spraying it down with a hose or dumping a bucket of clean water over the entire surface.

Use the same method you would use for a granite stone. Kaye wagner has been working in the fields of journalism and public relations since 2006 and is a recipient of a national hearst award. Soak the stone with water to saturate any growth that may be present. The hardest of the natural stone type of monuments that you will see in a cemetery is granite which is still widely used today granite has a hardness of between 7 and 9 and can withstand a little more cleaning than the other types of natural stone.

Spraying down the headstone first will help maximize the effectiveness of the cleaning solution. Once the headstone is clean buff the marble dry with a dry and clean cloth. Bleach is alkaline so it doesn t pose the big risk of acidic. If these are present it may be best to leave it as is.

Headstones can be very porous and can soak up the cleaning solution before it has a chance to work. Due to the natural ageing and weathering process you probably won t return the marble or granite to its perfect original condition however. Clean limestone using the same method as the one used to clean marble. Cleaning weak marble can result in further irreparable damage.

Fortunately a few basic cleaning supplies and some elbow grease can dramatically improve the appearance of a cemetery tombstone headstone gravemarker or memorial. Inspect the entire headstone for cracks wear and signs of damage. She is particularly interested in home and garden projects as well as beauty and fashion writing. Any discussion about cleaning a headstone marker or memorial must begin with a few cautions about the various things you should not do.

Only marble that is in good condition should be cleaned.