Memorial Cleaning
These recommendation apply only to granite memorials. All cemetery memorials are not made of granite. For example, most memorials pre dating World War II (1940) are made of marble, which is a much softer material than granite. The following recommendation are appropriate for the cleaning of granite. The cleaning of marble, and other softer materials, requires very special treatment and may cause ir-repairable damage to your memorial. We recommend that if you have a marble memorial, or are unsure of the material from which your memorial was created, that you contact us to have our professional technician evaluate the feasibility of cleaning your memorial and give you a cost estimate to perform the cleaning.
It is best to clean a monument on a cloudy day. Never clean a monument when the surface of the stone is hot.
You must have an ample supply of cold water available for washing and rinsing.
Always start cleaning at the bottom of the monument and work up; not from the top down.
Always check for abnormalities such as cracks and loose areas of granite, etc. Call us if needed.
Take precautions to protect the grass and shrubbery around your memorial. Place paper bags, or something similar, around the base of the monument to absorb the water.
Always use a natural bristle brush. You may have to scrub numerous times. Scrub the monument with a mild detergent that DOES NOT contain an oil base. One product that we can recommend is Bon Ami, due to its non-abrasive properties. We can also recommend Ivory or Dawn detergents.
Never allow you cleaning solution to dry on the stone. If the surface is large, do a small area at a time, keeping the area wet to avoid streaking. Always rinse the cleaning solution off of the stone with plenty of water. Also, be sure to wash out you brush frequently while cleaning. Always do a final rinse and let the monument dry completely.
For a final shining, you may want to use Windex or a similar product.
Windex, or a similar product, may be used for a simple cleaning, or to remove dust and dirt.
We can not stress strongly enough that you should: NEVER USE AN ABRASIVE OR OIL-BASED PRODUCT ON YOUR MEMORIAL.
