Is It Ok To Clean Up Granite

I take been a genealogist for over 25 years, and I honor those whose graves I come up across in cemeteries.

How to Clean Old Headstones / Gravestones — How to Clean One-time Headstones / Gravestones

Keely Deuschle

How to Make clean a Gravestone: Play a Little Part in Preserving the By

Cemeteries are where many of united states cull as our concluding resting place. It is the identify where our loved ones will render to pay their respects to usa. But every bit fourth dimension passes, the headstone marker where we balance may become worn, discolored, covered with lichen, or even broken.

If you've been to a cemetery to visit a loved 1, you probably noticed many stones, peculiarly older ones, in desperate demand of repair or at least a good cleaning. Some may be worn beyond readability, also. Nosotros can take steps to ensure that the place that marks where our loved ones lie tin exist taken care of so that our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren tin can continue to pay respect to our ancestors.

You may retrieve that because the cemetery is a perpetual care cemetery, the headstones would be maintained under that intendance. Yet, perpetual intendance commonly provides for keeping of the grounds and regular maintenance of the overall cemetery. This may include cutting grass, planting and caring for trees, road maintenance, drainage, and sometimes straightening of the markers.

Perpetual intendance cemeteries really only came into existence nigh 75 years ago, and, sadly, many one-time cemeteries take been lost. Even for those erstwhile ones that are maintained, more oftentimes than not, the stones are in desperate need of aid.

The steps below will help you in cleaning gravestones as safely as possible to preclude further damage to the gravestone.

Types of Headstones

Well-nigh headstones are fabricated upwardly of natural stones that are comprised of salts and minerals. The near mutual types of headstones existing today are fabricated of sandstone, granite, marble, and limestone. Due to its ease of maintaining a cemetery, flat bronze markers are condign more popular in cemeteries, especially memorial parks.

The natural stone tombstones can withstand varying degrees of cleaning, with most early on ones beingness able to tolerate very petty. Limestone and sandstone are very soft stones and were used a lot in early cemeteries considering they were piece of cake to carve. (The Mohs hardness scale rates it having a hardness of 3–4.)

Unfortunately, gravestones fabricated from these types of stone often clothing away faster, with many very old ones being no longer readable; this is due to the many environmental atmospheric condition that they're exposed to. Additionally, for many sandstone markers, water or wet would accumulate in its cracks, and when temperatures dropped, freezing conditions would cause the stone to crack or break.

Marble was primarily used for headstones and monuments prior to the 1920s. Its hardness is rated between a 4 and vii. It is basically a recrystallized form of limestone. Some preferred marble because it withstood the elements slightly better than limestone and sandstone but was still fairly easy to carve. The beautiful veining blueprint was also a cracking depict. Unfortunately, environmental elements too bear upon marble, and equally a issue, many cemeteries no longer permit marble headstones for exterior markers.

The hardest of the natural stone blazon of monuments that y'all will run into in a cemetery is granite, which is still widely used today. Granite has a hardness of between seven and 9 and can withstand a little more than cleaning than the other types of natural stone; yet, it still must be a very gentle cleaning. About of the upright stones made today are created from granite.

Remember, it's not only the stone itself we demand to preserve, but what is carved on the stone. Afterwards all, that is how nosotros will all know who rests beneath.

Before you head out to the cemetery, exist sure to have some basic supplies with you. These supplies include:

Jugs of distilled water (or garden hose if water admission is available)
Spray bottle/garden sprayer (new, never used for any type of chemic)
Natural bristle castor or nylon brush, varying sizes and stiffness
House toothbrush
Sponges
Arts and crafts sticks (to gently remove lichens)

Accept Precautions Earlier Cleaning a Headstone

Earlier you lot attempt to make clean a headstone, you lot must first check its condition. If there is evidence of any of the following, do non proceed with cleaning:

Any stability problems any
The stone or lettering has any evidence of flaking or parts of the stone falling away
Fractures anywhere on the rock
If anything even slightly suggests that the headstone is delicate or even slightly vulnerable
If gently borer the stone or the base of operations results in any hollow sound
A wooden headstone

If the condition of the rock appears to be okay, keep in mind the following bones suggestions when beginning to clean a headstone. It is important to note, that if the only reason to clean a rock is to remove lichens, algae, etc., it is not necessary as it may do more damage to the stone than good.

Cleaning headstones is a wonderful way to play a small role in preserving history. — Cleaning headstones is a wonderful fashion to play a pocket-size office in preserving history.

Official U.S. Navy Imagery, CC-Past, via flickr

So, How Practise You Make clean a Headstone?

Using water with unlike kinds and sizes of natural bristle brushes volition require some patience, but it is the almost natural and safest style to clean stones.
To brainstorm, thoroughly saturate the headstone with water. By using a spray canteen or even a pump sprayer, you can use less h2o and ensure a clean rinse each time.
Begin cleaning the stone starting at the bottom and piece of work upward. This will assistance to foreclose any streaking and/or whatever additional staining from occurring than if you worked from the elevation downwardly. Be sure to rinse the area cleaned oft with the water.
It is best to begin cleaning with the softest brushes possible and but gradually motion to stiffer natural bristle brushes if needed. Remember, never utilize a wire or metal castor.
If there are lichens or moss growing on the stone, gently scrape it with your wooden or plastic scrapers. Oftentimes, information technology will come off adequately hands; other times, it may need to exist repeated.
When using a brush on the stone, employ random circular motions, which also helps with keeping streaking at a minimum.
It is possible to use non-ionic soaps to further aid in the cleaning, but the types that tin can be safely used are minimal. Unless you thoroughly enquiry the type(s) and how to utilise it, do non use annihilation other than h2o and gentle brushing.
Rinse the cleaned area often and thoroughly rinse it when you've completed the cleaning of the headstone.
Repeat for all sides of the mark.

What Not to Practice When Cleaning a Headstone

When you lot follow the steps above, you'll be well on your style to preserving someone'southward marker longer.

What we do non want to practise is annihilation that will accelerate the wearing of the stone, discoloring of the stone, etc.

What You lot Should Not Use to Make clean a Headstone

Wire bristled brushes
Metallic anything
Abrasive pads
Pressure washers
Sandblasters
Ability tools
Bleach
Acid or acidic cleaning agents (peculiarly on marble or limestone) - should only be used by those properly trained working on non-calcareous stone ^[1]
Household cleaners including lather, detergents, Borax, TSP, annihilation you'd use to clean your dwelling house ^[1]
Any blazon of sealant

Cleaning Headstones Is a Small but Important Way to Preserve History

Then, at present you have basic guidelines that will assist y'all in helping to maintain the headstones of your loved ones. Remember, though, that despite your best efforts, tombstones will rarely look new again. And for sure types of stones, such as marble, limestone, and sandstone, it is recommended that they not be cleaned more than one time every 10 years since each time a stone is cleaned, information technology essentially washes a minor layer away.

I believe information technology'southward important to become our children involved and assistance them to understand the importance of keeping up the resting identify of our loved ones; after all, they're the generation that volition be keeping upwardly ours.

Take A Quiz

For each question, choose the best respond. The answer key is below.

Is it okay to pressure wash a headstone?
- Yes
- No
What is the best kind of castor to utilize when cleaning a headstone?
- Wire bristled brush
- Natural bristle castor
Which is the best management to clean a headstone?
- Start at the top and work your way down.
- Kickoff at the bottom and piece of work your way upward.
What kind of cleaning agents tin be used to clean a headstone?
- Bleach
- Acidic cleaning agents
- Water

Answer Primal

No
Natural bristle brush
Start at the bottom and piece of work your way up.
Water

Interpreting Your Score

If you got between 0 and one correct answer: I'd highly recommend going back and reading through the commodity again before heading to the cemetery. Utilizing the incorrect methods could cause faster degradation to a headstone. Come up back to the quiz and endeavor again!

If you got 2 correct answers: I'd encourage you to read through the commodity again before heading to the cemetery. Utilizing the incorrect methods could cause faster degradation to a headstone.

If yous got 3 correct answers: Pretty proficient score. Be sure to go dorsum and read through the section for the question(s) you missed before heading to the cemetery. Utilizing the incorrect methods could cause faster deposition to a headstone.

If you got 4 correct answers: Perfect score! You have a neat understanding of what you should and shouldn't exercise when cleaning a headstone. Many people utilize incorrect methods which can cause a headstone to dethrone quicker. Enjoy helping to preserve your loved ones' headstones!

References

^[1] Walther, Tracy C. Review and Evaluation of Selected Brand Name Materials for Cleaning Gravestones.

This content is accurate and truthful to the best of the author'southward knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional person.

Eileen Buckham on September xvi, 2022:

Gilded writing is fading it'south 15years old can anything be done please

Mattosmonuments.com on April 23, 2022:

Thank you so much for putting out such quality information. Equally a retailer of monuments and headstones in the bay area, people always try to only go at the stone thinking its but stone. These are frail pieces of art, thanks for showing the honey you need to keep these headstones beautiful. world wide web.mattosmonuments.com

Keely Deuschle (writer) from Florida on July x, 2022:

Lou Parks, putting a stone back together would exist something to talk to a monument company or someone who specializes in that sort of affair. I won't recommend attempting to reassemble 1 without professional help as to not farther damage the stone.

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on July 10, 2022:

John Pigeon, I belong to a few, only I do recording of cemeteries locally and sometimes when I travel. And yep, I am on Find A Grave.

Nosotros have a very large cemetery here with near 90,000 burials going back to early on 1800s. Whenever I exercise photograph requests for Observe A Grave, I record the unabridged department of the cemetery and add them to Find A Grave. I don't, still, make clean the stones there as they provide that service to families.

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on July 10, 2022:

Gloria, no! Please don't paint or put annihilation on the stone! Anything, including chalk, flour, etc, should non be added to a stone. And rubbings using paper and pencil or crayon should not be used.

One thing y'all may be able to try is to very carefully place aluminum foil over the headstone. Practise not affix record to the headstone, rather braze it to other aluminum foil. The thinner aluminum foil is best. And then, very gently, using a small-scale castor such as a makeup castor or other small brush, gently brush over the areas where the lettering is and you'll go a relief of the rock which tin can aid yous read it.

Another thing to try is to photo it with low-cal coming from different directions. In photography, lighting straight on (such every bit with a wink) will make everything seem flat and the depth of the lettering will not be as visible. Try lighting from different angles or dissimilar times of day.

Gloria on July x, 2022:

Is it OK to retrace the writing with dark paint so, it stands out?

lou parks on July 06, 2022:

how exercise you put old markers back to geather

John Dove on October 17, 2022:

Great Hub! Yous must have an ample supply of patience also. Are you lot associated with any organization, e.g., genealogical society, that has a project the recording of cemeteries? Are y'all active on findagrave.com?

dick hohenbrink dhohenbrink@ymail.com on July 28, 2022:

Give thanks You lot for Your article. I have been noticing Markers beingness painter{ Old Sandstone} Tin You requite any input on the bailiwick. My Thou Parents marker is from the late 1890 . Give thanks Yous.

Shelby Hinson on July 06, 2022:

I'grand not sure, but I think the monument in question is granite or soapstone . It is the gravestone of my not bad gramps who was in the Not bad Civil War.

ALISTAIR Baker on September 09, 2022:

Thanks for the info. I am researching my family here in the UK, and have establish various head stones dating back to the mid 1880'south. They all seem to be of a sandstone multifariousness, some very well preserved due to location in cemetery, ie protected from the elements. Others take not been so lucky, worn and faded letters , plus croaky and eroded faces.

I will follow your instructions on the more durable ones and run into what results I get. Good point to ask for permission from Local Authority/Town Council before progressing. Because of age they may well be protected and you lot could fall foul of local byelaws. So will brand the telephone call this Monday and start the ball rolling or non.Regards

Jim mc neill on August fourteen, 2022:

Would Oxyclean work

SmurfsAunt on May 12, 2022:

You should never ever apply any type of castor on any type of headstone.

Louise Greene on April 07, 2022:

Cheers for this commodity. I have a stone to make clean and had no idea how to go nearly information technology.

Corie Neumayer on March 17, 2022:

Nosotros discovered an old family tombstone...granite or sandstone . The words are flaking off. Is there anything we tin can do to preserve what is left?

Joe Fiduccia from Monroe County, PA on Feb 01, 2022:

This is honestly something I had never given much thought to. I appreciate the detail you went into, and will even ne sure to share your communication with our dad in Poland, who cares for several headstones that are in serious need of a face elevator. Cheers!

RWW on Oct 21, 2022:

I have been cleaning and restoring old grave markers for a number of years. When the product Wet and Forget became bachelor [in the USA] I was skeptical about using it on old sandstone or marble markers. I talked to the technical folks at Wet and Forget. I tried it on some onetime marble foot markers. It was very effective with no damage. Information technology takes 3-6 months to see results and the results are dramatic.

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on January 16, 2022:

Vivian-tmt-hnp, give thanks you for your kind words!

Keely Deuschle (writer) from Florida on January 16, 2022:

Hi LWhip, very, very true, especially with carved wood markers. I don't know if you had seen the other hub I wrote about recording a cemetery, just especially in a instance like yours, this is something that might be helpful if it doesn't already exist.

LWhip on January fourteen, 2022:

Interesting commodity. Many of the onetime grave markings in our family cemetery are carved wood so we are very reliant on oral and recorded history, some of which is unfortunately incomplete at present.

Vivian-tmt-hnp from United states. on August 16, 2022:

8:21am Friday 16 August 2022

Beloved KDeus,

I really appreciate your sincere and precious essay.

Vivian

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on August 15, 2022:

CCCBit, I'chiliad so sorry that you had the experience you did. I would have never thought about that run a risk, but thanks for sharing it for others to consider and prepare if they think they may be affected. Couldn't hurt to carry gloves and an allergy mask in the kit. Thanks once more for sharing your experience and tip!

Keely Deuschle (writer) from Florida on August 15, 2022:

Pgill, excellent tip. I have updated the article to reflect distilled h2o. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on August 15, 2022:

Barbara, I'g glad this data will aid you to clean your female parent-in-constabulary's grandmother'south stone! Good luck with your project.

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on Baronial xv, 2022:

Raitu Disong, thank yous very much. I'm glad y'all've found this useful.

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on August 15, 2022:

marion_langley, cheers! Please only don't use too much elbow grease!

CCCBit on August 15, 2022:

I would like to caution anyone doing this to have great care not to injure yourself! Afterward cleaning an old stone with water and a soft cloth, without gloves, I inadvertently wiped my face with the back of my hand and blew my olfactory organ (with clean tissue!) before washing my easily. Soon thereafter I developed a severe rash on my confront, not unlike poison ivy (and I had not encountered whatever plants that solar day). I had to take Prednisone for a week. I exercise have a respiratory sensitivity to mold, so I doubtable it was carelessness on my part and some type of mold. So, apply gloves, take care not to touch any part of your skin, and peradventure wear an allergy mask if y'all doubtable you might be susceptible to mold allergies. Otherwise, great tips!

Pgill on Baronial 15, 2022:

Thas for a great article.... I would as well get as far equally suggesting to just employ distilled water when cleaning stones which will also assist against staining....

Barbara on August 15, 2022:

Thank you for the wonderful information. My mother-in-police force was just asking me if we could help clean and straighten her grandmother's headstone. I know I have info on leveling a headstone simply did not have this information.

Raitu Disong on July 23, 2022:

HI Kdeus, this is a very useful hub!

Thanks for sharing:)

marion langley from The Study on July 03, 2022:

Thank-yous for the helpful encouragments to apply a little elbow grease safely. The pictures were great! voting up!

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on July 02, 2022:

Spraying annihilation on a stone, even if it's labeled as prophylactic, would definitely make me nervous, specially if it's left there to wash off by itself. I don't take first hand knowledge about that product, but will have to look into before I'd experience comfortable acknowledging it's okay. There are several types of non-ionic soaps that can be used, but unless the readers first thoroughly researched which "specific" ones are safety, I did not want to suggest using them since one kind may be okay, while a similar one may not be.

denisefenimore on July 01, 2022:

There is also a production called 'Wet and Forget'. Spray one and allow the wind and rain slowly practice the piece of work. Very prophylactic, just non instant results.

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on June 29, 2022:

Hi LensMan999, Thanks! I hope this guide helps a lot of people! I've seen too many people harm stones by using things that should never be used! Thank you again!

LensMan999 from Trans-Neptunian region on June 25, 2022:

Cleaning an former headstone has now get very easy through your hub. You lot have provided with simple instructions that tin can be applied hands. Thanks a lot for sharing this wonderful hub.

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on June 23, 2022:

Howdy Dream On! That would be an interesting idea!

Keely Deuschle (writer) from Florida on June 23, 2022:

How-do-you-do Oscarlites, You're more than welcome! I hope this guide continues to assist as yous run into more family burial plots!

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on June 23, 2022:

Thanks, Dream On! Have a great 24-hour interval!

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on June 23, 2022:

Give thanks you lot, FlourishAnyway! Information technology is so sad to walk into a cemetery that has not been taken care of, or even for those taken care of, how in dire need of some TLC the headstones are. I'm glad that you lot detect this guide useful! Thanks for stopping by!

FlourishAnyway from USA on June 14, 2022:

Great information. Peculiarly with so much interest in genealogy, many people are going back to family plots that had been long forgotten and are finding them in disrepair. This provides some management in example they'd like to laurels loved ones' memories with a clean-upward.

DREAM ON on June 12, 2022:

What helpful tips in taking care of something so precious and sacred.Thanx then much.

Oscar Jones from Monroeville, Alabama on May 18, 2022:

But recently, as I have been involved in photographing family burial cemetaries. I see some turn of the century markers that are already eroded to the bespeak of being not-identifiable. cheers for the hints from heloise, oops, "hints from KDeus" !

DREAM ON on February 20, 2022:

I never gave headstones any thought.I would think after all these years someone would of created a headstone encompass to help protect against the elements.This would of perserved some of the older graves that at present nosotros can no longer see because of erosion over the years.Accept a proficient day.

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on January 02, 2022:

Thanks, J.Due south.! I am glad that you found this useful! I've heard of and so many people trying to make clean stones using methods that volition damage the stone, so the more education that is out there to help preserve our history, the longer these headstones will terminal!

JS Matthew from Massachusetts, Usa on Dec 28, 2022:

This is an awesome guide. Very complete. I take wondered what the best fashion to clean memorials was. Up and shared.

JS~

Keely Deuschle (author) from Florida on December 12, 2022:

Thank you, peachpurple for commenting! Sometimes, if the moss doesn't come up off easily, even with the plastic scrapers (they wear away before they damage the stone), y'all tin can even effort a poultice that tin assistance to soften the moss and lichen even more than!

Keely Deuschle (writer) from Florida on December 12, 2022:

Cheers, Millionaire Tips! I exercise the aforementioned equally you practise when I photograph markers for transcribing a cemetery. I keep a "cemetery bag" in my car with all my "tools" which includes several brushes I utilise to brush abroad dirt, pismire piles, etc. It took some time to become comfortable with cleaning a mark, too. Cheers for sharing your comments!

peachy from Home Sweetness Home on Dec 12, 2022:

Useful tips on cleaning the headstone. Never thought so much well-nigh it. We usually use material and light-green scrubs with water to clean off the moss. Thanks. Great hub

Shasta Matova from USA on Dec 12, 2022:

What a thorough well, formatted article about how to clean headstones. When I have photographs, I don't clean the headstones at all, except to gently brush away whatever leaves or debris so that I can take the photograph. I am besides afraid of causing more than harm than skillful.