When a loved one passes away, you want to do everything you can to honor their memory. Burial headstones in Walterboro, SC are meant to memorialize a person and acknowledge their life, so it’s important to keep them as clean and well maintained as possible. Understanding a little bit more about headstone cleaning can help you care for headstones more effectively so that you can keep your loved one’s memorial looking as good as possible for decades to come.
As a general rule, you should clean headstones at least twice a year. A biannual cleaning will keep your loved one’s headstone looking clean and free of grime, dirt and debris. You may need to clean headstones more often if you’re in an area with heavy precipitation, or if the headstones are located in an area with lots of trees overhead.
Not only does regular cleaning improve the appearance of burial headstones in Walterboro, SC, it also prevents oxidation and other issues that are associated with dirt buildup.
Headstone cleaning
Different headstones require different approaches to cleaning and care. Following the appropriate cleaning process based on the material that you’re working with allows you to ensure that you’re getting the best results possible from your cleaning efforts:
- Granite: When you clean a granite headstone, all you need is a bucket of clean water, a gentle dish soap, Q-tips, cloths or rags and towels for drying. Start by adding some soap to the headstone and wiping it down with the rag to scrub off some dirt and surface grime. Once you’ve thoroughly wiped down the headstone, get a clean rag and some clean water to rinse the suds and soap scum off. You can use Q-tips to clean out debris from inlays and engravings. After you’ve rinsed your headstone, dry it with a clean towel and buff out any streaks that were produced during cleaning.
- Bronze: To clean a bronze headstone or marker, start by clearing away leaves or other debris. Then, use clean water and a rag or soft bristle brush to get the headstone wet and loosen up any dirt and grime. Next, use a gentle soap to scrub the headstone again. After scrubbing away dirt and debris, rinse the headstone and add a protective coating to guard the bronze against weathering and wear.
- Marble: Since marble tends to age and deteriorate faster than granite, you should inspect the headstone before you clean it. If there are major cracks or signs of aging, it might be best to leave the headstone alone, since cleaning can put excessive stress on the headstone. To clean the headstone, start by scraping away moss or other growth that has developed. Next, mix a marble cleaning product with some clean water and use a scrub brush to clear away debris and grime on the surface of the headstone. After cleaning, you can use a marble polish to restore the shine of the headstone.
Learn more about burial headstones in Walterboro, SC
At Steedley Monument Works, we understand how important it is to honor the memory of your loved ones and that’s why we are proud to offer a wide range of personalized memorial products and services. Since 1968, our family owned and operated company has provided burial headstones in Walterboro, SC, as well as cremation urns, custom granite headstones, custom mausoleums and more. Regardless of what your specific needs may be, we would be happy to assist you. Give us a call today to find out more about everything that we have to offer.