Cleaning Marble Monuments

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

Cleaning marble monuments.

Gravestones are made of many materials such as marble granite limestone sandstone bronze slate iron. Do not use cleanser on polished granite as it may scratch the finished surface of the stone. 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. If there is growth remove using a wooden scraper.

Cleaning granite step by step. Clean water non ionic detergent biocide solution ammonia and water solution. Headstones can be very porous and can soak up the cleaning solution before it has a chance to work. This is the opposite of an all to common assumption that extreme measures given the contaminants should be used on exterior marble cleaning.

Cleaning weak marble can result in further irreparable damage. How to clean marble headstones. Only marble that is in good condition should be cleaned. Comet or common dry cleanser without the extra cleaning crystals works wonders when cleaning unpolished modern granite monuments.

Add in a few drops of ammonia and then add. His article begins with an overview of the material s origins and historic uses before going on to focus on its durability and defects cleaning assessments the cleaning process and the application of protective surface coatings such as microcrystalline wax or limewash. Once the headstone is clean buff the marble dry with a dry and clean cloth. Jump ahead to these sections.

Clean a marble gravestone. Steps to clean a marble headstone. In knowing how to clean a marble headstone properly you adopt the gentlest least invasive practices to preserve the longevity of the stone. Marble needs to be treated even more gently than granite.

Inspect the entire headstone for cracks wear and signs of damage. Pre wet the stone with clean water. 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. Conservator angus lawrence supplies a brief expert introduction to the cleaning of historic marble monuments.

If these are present it may be best to leave it as is. How to clean a marble headstone. Next thoroughly wet the headstone gravemarker or memorial using your sponge and or by pouring water over the surface s you wish to clean. Make and apply a poultice.

It is important that you know what type of stone you are dealing with. Put a handful of cotton balls in a bowl. However it still must be a very gentle cleaning. While this article focuses on cleaning granite headstones it s important to know how to work on cleaning any kind of headstone.

Different types will require different cleaning methods.