Cleaning Marble Monuments

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.

Cleaning marble monuments.

Throughout the cleaning process you should avoid dry to dry surface contact so always keep the surface to be cleaned wet and frequently dip soak whatever cleaning implement you re using in fresh water. Comet or common dry cleanser without the extra cleaning crystals works wonders when cleaning unpolished modern granite monuments. Make and apply a poultice. How to clean marble headstones.

Pre wet the stone with clean water. Headstones can be very porous and can soak up the cleaning solution before it has a chance to work. Next thoroughly wet the headstone gravemarker or memorial using your sponge and or by pouring water over the surface s you wish to clean. Put a handful of cotton balls in a bowl.

Conservator angus lawrence supplies a brief expert introduction to the cleaning of historic marble monuments. Spraying down the headstone first will help maximize the effectiveness of the cleaning solution. Only marble that is in good condition should be cleaned. Steps to clean a marble headstone.

Add in a few drops of ammonia and then add. Clean water non ionic detergent biocide solution ammonia and water solution. Gravestones are made of many materials such as marble granite limestone sandstone bronze slate iron. Jump ahead to these sections.

If these are present it may be best to leave it as is. It is important that you know what type of stone you are dealing with. Soak the stone with water to saturate any growth that may be present. Once the headstone is clean buff the marble dry with a dry and clean cloth.

Different types will require different cleaning methods. How to clean a marble headstone. Clean a marble gravestone. 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.

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. In knowing how to clean a marble headstone properly you adopt the gentlest least invasive practices to preserve the longevity of the stone. Inspect the entire headstone for cracks wear and signs of damage. If there is growth remove using a wooden scraper.

Cleaning weak marble can result in further irreparable damage. However it still must be a very gentle cleaning. Marble needs to be treated even more gently than granite. While this article focuses on cleaning granite headstones it s important to know how to work on cleaning any kind of headstone.

Cleaning granite step by step.