How to Clean The Tombstone Correctly In 8 Steps?

Did you spend time walking in the ancient cemetery? If so, you will know the influence of these elements on the tombstone. The destruction of surrounding animals and plants, pollutants in the atmosphere, animals and people may make the stones illegible over time.

Look at the following sections:

Step 1: get the consent of other family members

You may be most interested in learning how to clean the tombstones of your loved ones or ancestors. If so, you can clean the tombstones only with the consent of other family members.

On the other hand, are you interested in cleaning stones for historical or altruistic reasons? Be sure to get permission from the descendants of the deceased. They may not be found, so in this case, obtain the approval of the cemetery director or municipal employee to supervise the cemetery. Know in advance that these people may not like an untrained person cleaning stones.

Step 2: make sure the stone is safe

Hundreds of years later, the ancient tombstone base may be unstable. Make sure the marker you use is safe and won't fall off. Remember - you need to be safe throughout the process.

Step 3: check the outdoor temperature

Touch the surface of the tombstone with your hand. Does the stone feel hot? If so, do not wash with cold water. This may cause cracks.

Consider covering the stone until the temperature decreases. If not, you can wash it with warm water.

In addition, don't try to clean the stones when the weather forecast shows that the temperature may drop to zero. Water expands when it freezes, so water can enter tiny cracks in stones and grow.

Step 4: look for plants stuck to stones

Your instinct may be to pull the plant off the stone as soon as you see it - but stone cleaning experts warn against doing so.

Instead, prune plants, especially ivy, from their roots and periodically along the vines. The suction cups of some plants can damage stones. You can remove the suction cup, but you'd better wait until the plant withers before cleaning.

Step 5: check the stone

Before you start cleaning, stop and examine the stone carefully. There may be some signs that you need to find a stone protectionist to deal with cleaning up the monument. Here are some things on the stone:

Layering: some stones are layered. If you see the layers of stone begin to separate, don't start the cleaning process. This is the job of professionals.

Hollow sound: when you tap the stone gently, do you hear the hollow sound? If so, do not try to clean it.

Large cracks: do not try to clean the stone, whether the stone is cracked from an invasive tree root or other source. Fragile stones are easily broken and should be repaired before cleaning.

Step 6: wet the stone with water

First of all, it is worth noting that you should not use an electric washing machine to clean the tombstone. This will cause irreparable damage. Instead, use a pump sprayer and set it to spray mode.

Gently wet the stone with clean water and watch it dry. Look for stress cracks in the stone. If there are many cracks or it looks unusually wide, do not continue the cleaning process.

Step 7: gently scrub the stone

Are you sure the shape of this stone is good enough for amateurs to clean up? If so, you can continue to the next step. Soak the stone for a few minutes. Use a wooden or plastic scraper to scrape away moss and other plant growth from stones.

Step 8: wash the stone

Clean any debris you bring to the ground from a gentle scrub. You will notice that this article does not mention any cleaning products. Most people recommend that you do not use any cleaning products until you are trained in cleaning products that will not harm stones or surrounding vegetation.