First of all, homemade tombstone cleaners are often cheaper than commercial cleaners. You probably already have most of the ingredients (like soapy water) in your home, and if you don’t, they’re easy to find at your local store. Safety measures: When using household cleaners, make sure to wear gloves to protect your hands and avoid getting any cleaning solution in your eyes.

The result should be a stone that’s free of stains. And the great part? Lemon juice is completely safe and won’t damage the stone either. Precautions When You Clean Headstones Use your soft brush to scrub any moss, algae, or stubborn dirt. Start at the bottom and go to the top to avoid streaks.

Brilliant I used this cleaner as a test on a statue of David that had been in my garden for about 8 years and it worked really well. David looks as good as new.

In the next sections, we’ll go over how to make and use each of these DIY headstone cleaners. Steps for Cleaning Gravestones with Baking SodaWhat is soiling? Soiling agents accumulate on the headstone and change its appearance and cause damage. Soiling agents include dirt, air pollution, biological organisms, bird droppings, and plant or tree sap. Safety Before you head off to the cemetery, you’ll need to gather up your supplies. Most of the supplies you’ll need are basic, such as the following: The last step is rinsing. Remember to rinse each area thoroughly after cleaning and make sure that no cleaner is left behind.

You may want to clean the headstone to express that you love or miss the departed, but overcleaning can cause damage. If your primary reason for cleaning a headstone is emotionally-based and not-need-based, consider doing something else to honor your loved one’s memory. For example, you can decorate the headstone with flowers or memorabilia as a way to honor them instead. Professionally approved cleaners , such as D-2. These are also optional, in the event that the headstone may need more help.But, that’s not to say that commercial cleaners aren’t a good option to remove dirt and stains. In fact, commercial cleaners can be a great choice for those who don’t have the time or the desire to make their own cleaner spray.

Unfortunately, there are some well-meaning people out there who don’t know how to clean a headstone and may damage it in the process. Let’s help you avoid that outcome. Headstone Cleaning RulesSo, why should you care about cleaning headstones? Well, for starters, it’s a way to show respect to the memory of your loved ones. A clean gravestone is a sign that you still remember and care about them. It is critical to first take a photograph of the before and compare it to the after photograph. It is not recommended that stones be cleaned more than once a year. gravestones should be cleaned by a professional restorationist at least once a year. According to the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, D2 Biological Stone Cleaning Solution is an excellent choice for cleaning biological stones. Granite absorbs heat in addition to absorbing heat, so on a sunny day, temperatures can rise more than 40 degrees higher than around it. When there is an extremely hot climate, it is possible for a stone to become damaged due to abrupt temperature changes. In such cases, a headstone may require more cleaning than the average person can do in a day without damaging the granite. Vinegar: General Cleaner Or Stone Destroyer? Remove any debris from the area, keep people away from the surface you’re cleaning and keep pets away from the area you will be cleaning. In a study conducted by the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) in 2011, the D/2 biological solution is found to be the best performing cleaner for headstones among other products evaluated. Toothbrush. The bristles of these handy tools will penetrate the finer, carved areas without causing damage.