Do you have a memorial garden with natural stones in it? If so, then you might be wondering how you can clean those precious stones in your garden. Here are a few quick tips to help you keep your natural stone and marble looking great year round.
What is Natural Stone?
Natural stones are unpolished quarried stone. This can include Nabresina, York, Purbeck and Portland stones. Often you will see these types of materials used in churchyard memorials. Stones that are natural are very porous and able to absorb moisture. This causes the stone to look dirty, discolored, or grow mosses and lichens.
What is Marble?
Often times, white marble is used in cemeteries and memorial gardens. It has a rubbed finish that has natural veins of colour. The stone can look blue, grey or white. The subtle shades and permeable qualities can encourage build up of dicolouration and grime.
How to Clean Natural Stone and Marble
For both natural stone and marbles, the same method of cleaning can be used. Here is what you will need to clean your memorials:
- A hard bristled scrub brush
- A soft bristled brush for lettering
Use the hard bristled brush all over the stone to get off the dirt and grim. Use the softer bristled brush for the letters on the memorial. This will keep the letters looking great without chipping away fine parts of the engraving. Once you see the natural colour of the stone come through, rinse it several times to make sure that all of the chemicals are off. You can even use a soft cloth to wipe it down once you are done.
A Few Tips About Garden Memorials
For other helpful tips when it comes to garden memorials, consider these things:
- Be careful how often you choose to clean your memorial. Spraying with bleach too often can cause problems.
- When you display fresh flowers, remove the flowers as soon as they start to die. If you don’t, it can cause staining on the memorial.
- Don’t put potted plants on the stone, because the dirt can cause staining.
- Do not use hard bristled brushes on the lettering.
If you stick with the cleaning tips we provided and avoid these things, your memorials will look great for many years. It is important that you protect your stones.