What Can I Use To Clean Marble Headstone

Steps to clean a marble headstone.

What can i use to clean marble headstone.

Headstones can be very porous and can soak up the cleaning solution before it has a chance to work. Cleaning more frequently can weaken the marble. How to clean marble headstones. Never use power washers to clean white marble gravestones as the force can destroy the patina.

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. 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. 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 by spraying it down with a hose or dumping a bucket of clean water over the entire surface.

This is the opposite of an all to common assumption that extreme measures given the contaminants should be used on exterior marble cleaning. Use the same method you would use for a granite stone. She is particularly interested in home and garden projects as well as beauty and fashion writing. Cleaning gravestones with bleach is never a good idea church said but it s especially bad when you re working on porous stone.

How to clean a marble headstone. Any discussion about cleaning a headstone marker or memorial must begin with a few cautions about the various things you should not do. Spraying down the headstone first will help maximize the effectiveness of the cleaning solution. Limestone is another popular choice for headstones.

Bleach is alkaline so it doesn t pose the big risk of acidic. Soak the stone with water to saturate any growth that may be present. Only marble that is in good condition should be cleaned. In knowing how to clean a marble headstone properly you adopt the gentlest least invasive practices to preserve the longevity of the stone.

Fortunately a few basic cleaning supplies and some elbow grease can dramatically improve the appearance of a cemetery tombstone headstone gravemarker or memorial. Once the headstone is clean buff the marble dry with a dry and clean cloth. Repeat this process approximately every 18 months. Clean limestone using the same method as the one used to clean marble.

If these are present it may be best to leave it as is. Due to the natural ageing and weathering process you probably won t return the marble or granite to its perfect original condition however. However it still must be a very gentle cleaning. Inspect the entire headstone for cracks wear and signs of damage.

What not to do.