Cleaning Marble Tombstone With Pressure Washer

Do not use normal household cleaners soaps and detergents ivory formula 409 bleach tsp laundry detergents dish detergents etc to clean headstones.

Cleaning marble tombstone with pressure washer.

The first step in cleaning a headstone correctly is to select the right cleaner. Most of these websites are for monument companies and seem to be making. All of these stones are much softer than granite and require different cleaning methods. Headstones can be constructed from a variety of materials including limestone marble and sandstone.

Others are individual descendants doing much the same things. With a careful gentle hand and a bit of elbow grease you can refresh a headstone or grave marker making it easier to read and restoring some of the stone s beautiful finish as first created by the crafting stonemason. The pressure washer can and will strip it out leaving little or no contrast for the viewer to read the lettering on the tombstone. Kaye wagner has been working in the fields of journalism and public relations since 2006 and is a recipient of a national hearst award.

Taking this into consideration it is best to use a pressure washer only on granite tombstones that have no contrasting paint in the engraved areas. Pressure washing of gravestones is a somewhat new and serious threat to cemeteries. Best way to clean a headstone. Cleaning tombstones and monuments has become quite popular among many individuals and groups.

She is particularly interested in home and garden projects as well as beauty and fashion writing. Now knowing that using the pressurized nozzle of a hose could even damage a headstone just imagine the damage a pressure washer would do at 2 000 or even 3 100 psi. Clean a marble gravestone. Never use a pressure washer on a tombstone as it will erode the stone and accelerate the wear and tear on the stone while removing the crisp edges of engravings.

Clean a granite headstone. You want to keep the marble wet throughout the cleaning process by continually wiping the marble headstone with a cloth and clean water. Once you have checked out the stone you are ready to start actually cleaning. Some groups do it as part of reading cemeteries to gather historical documentation or as a way to beautify a cemetery.

Due to the natural ageing and weathering process you probably won t return the marble or granite to its perfect original condition however. And others take on tombstone cleaning for things like eagle scout projects. You should look for a cleaner that contains non ionic detergents as these will be the most gentle. Commercial pressure washers generally operate between 750 and 30 000 psi which can damage the marble s surface however pressure washing at 500 psi or below and at a distance of 12 inches from the stone face or more is acceptable.