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Should you clean a marble gravestone?
NO!
But, you really want to, don’t you? Great Aunt Tillie’s marker
is so covered with moss that you can’t read the inscription
any more. And cousin Maude’s, on the other side of the
cemetery under the old oak tree is all spotted with black
mildew. Not to mention the lichen.
No matter how gently a marble gravestone is cleaned, it will
be damaged! And, because we live in Oregon where most of us on
the west side of the Cascades have webbed feet from all the
rain, no matter what we do our gravestones will "grow" moss,
mildew and lichen.
Some will argue that the biological growths will eventually
damage the marble anyway. This is true, but it will take so
long you and I won’t be around to tell. But the damage you can
do will be noticeable in a few years.
If the gravestone is so covered with moss or lichen that it
can no longer be read, there is only one method approved for
removing it:
1. During the rainiest part of the year, on yet another rainy
day, take a lot of water with you and go to the cemetery.
2. With a gloved hand or soft cloth, gently wipe away the moss
and/or lichen.
3. If necessary, remove moss or lichen from the carving with a
soft-bristled brush or toothbrush.
4.Thoroughly rinse the stone with the water you brought.
The OHCA no longer recommends cleaning any gravestone with any
chemical.
The most important things to remember about cleaning marble
stones are:
Don’t.
If you must clean a marble gravestone, just use water -- and
lots of it.
Never use anything harder than a soft-bristled brush. Wire
brushes are NEVER acceptable.
Never use chlorine bleach or other household cleaning
products.
Everything you take off (except particles of stone) will
return.
This article comes from the Oregon Historic Cemeteries
Association and is used by permission of the authors. You can
visit their website by going to
oregoncemeteries.org |
