The Importance of Cleaning Gravestones

Cemeteries are more than just a final resting place for our loved ones. They are a place of beauty, where the memory of those passed are preserved. Each gravestone recognizes a human being that impacted history. It’s a quiet place to mourn and reflect. It’s important not to neglect gravestones in order to preserve their beauty for the sake of everyone who visits.

 

Over time, gravestones become worn, discolored, and broken. They can get covered in dirt, lichen, and other debris. If left unmaintained, the lettering can become worn to the point where it’s no longer readable. In order to ensure that all our children, and our children’s children, can pay respect to their ancestors, gravestones need to be regularly cleaned and restored.

 

Just because a cemetery is a ‘perpetual care’ facility doesn’t mean that headstones will receive the maintenance they require. ‘Perpetual care’ typically refers to landscaping, road maintenance and some general headstone care, but very rarely does it include headstone cleaning.

 

Most headstones are comprised of natural stones, such as sandstone, granite, and marble. For a long time, the most popular materials used for crafting gravestones were limestone and sandstone. This is because they are easy materials to carve, and as a result, most headstones require extreme care when cleaning. Unfortunately, these types of headstones also wear away much faster and are liable to crack in freezing conditions.

 

While it’s possible to clean a gravestone yourself, it’s not recommended. In order to ensure that a headstone incurs minimal damage, special tools and cleaning solutions are required, in addition to careful cleaning techniques. When cleaning a headstone it is of the utmost importance that none of the following are used:

The only way to ensure that a gravestone will be properly cleaned and restored is to hire a professional monument cleaning service. An experienced gravestone cleaner will have access to the proper tools and knowledge of the various techniques required to properly clean and care for such a fragile piece of history.

 

The professionals at Monument Lettering can be trusted to carefully restore your loved one’s memorial with the utmost care and consideration. Contact us today and get peace of mind knowing that your loved one’s memorial will last for generations to come.