Cleaning Old Granite Headstones

Check if you can clean the stone.

Cleaning old granite headstones.

Headstones can be very porous and can soak up the cleaning solution before it has a chance to work. Perhaps a lighter cleaning would be best in this case. However it still must be a very gentle cleaning. Old clean plastic milk bottles work great for transporting water to the markers.

How to clean granite headstones. Gallons and gallons of water. How often it needs to be cleaned will depend on weather conditions and whether there are trees overhead. Our group recommends d 2 as the first choice in cleaning headstones and markers.

For more information see the article a unique method for cleaning headstones if you have concerns about the headstone or are cleaning a very old headstone consult a conservation specialist for the best cleaning methods. You should clean a granite headstone as needed. It s always a good idea to check with the cemetery s staff to make sure you re allowed to clean the headstone s. 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.

There are many different types of headstones but if you know that the marker you want to clean is granite and that it s soiled with just dirt and mildew here s a suggestion. Follow the directions on your cleanser. Also if you re thinking of cleaning a stone in a very old cemetery will it stand out awkwardly among the other 200 year old gravestones. Therefore you should not try to clean a headstone marker or memorial on a very hot or very cold day.

Hard dark stone such as granite and cast metal markers grow surprisingly hot due to direct sunlight and or higher temperatures which can result in the rapid evaporation of the water you ll need for basic cleaning. Spraying down the headstone first will help maximize the effectiveness of the cleaning solution. Soak the stone with a hose or by dumping a bucket of clean water over the entire surface. Once they are wet gently begin wiping down the surface of the stone.

They feast on mold mildew and other growth that causes tombstones to look discolored and damaged. The steps for general cleaning are as follows. It works best at 45 degrees and above. Clean a granite headstone.

First protect any. Use undiluted for best results. Steps for cleaning granite headstones. Before you begin to actually clean the granite headstone remove excess.