Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.
Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026

Cleaning gravestones

  • 31-01-2008 03:13PM
    #1
    babyguinnessfan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 154 ✭✭


    Would like to clean my grandparents' headstones - one is granite and the other a sort of white marble. Anyone know the best way to get lichen etc. off?
    Sorry for the slightly morbid thread:)


Comments

  • #2
    Adam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,866 ✭✭✭Adam


    Cillit Bang. Bang, and the dirt is gone.


  • #3
    JohnnyChimpo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,253 ✭✭✭JohnnyChimpo


    nitric acid


  • #4
    babyguinnessfan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 154 ✭✭babyguinnessfan


    Thanks - any ideas where I'd get my mitts on nitric acid?


  • #5
    6th
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,247 ✭✭✭✭6th


    Woodies sell alot of clearners for diferent stone types, or at least they did when I worked there. Granite, Slate, Marble etc. I cant remember the brand name but its usually near the tile adhesives etc.

    When you finish cleaning then treat them with a sealer and they will stay cleaner for longer.

    There are companies that clean headstones but they are not cheap.


  • #6
    Dragan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,497 ✭✭✭✭Dragan


    babyguinnessfan wrote: »
    Would like to clean my grandparents' headstones - one is granite and the other a sort of white marble. Anyone know the best way to get lichen etc. off?
    Sorry for the slightly morbid thread:)

    He dude, get yourself either a softwire steel brush, or a hard plastic one....just bring along some watch and soak the lichen with a cloth for a while then scrub. Those two brushes won't damage the headstones in any way and should make quick work of it in conjunction with the soaking.


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    babyguinnessfan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 154 ✭✭babyguinnessfan


    OK lads - thanks for your help.


  • #8
    milli
    Closed Accounts Posts: 219 ✭✭milli


    Domestos or something with bleach is also good.


  • #9
    Maximilian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,400 ✭✭✭Maximilian


    You can never go wrong with lasers.


  • #10
    humanji
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,976 ✭✭✭✭humanji


    Dynamite.


  • #11
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 27,498 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    See:
    How to clean a headstone


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    babyguinnessfan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 154 ✭✭babyguinnessfan


    Thanks for posting that link up spurious - brilliant info. Thanks to everyone for all the other suggestions too...except maybe the dynamite one. Had to giggle though, even if it is my grandparents' headstones we are talking about. :)
    Off I go tomorrow so in my fetching safety goggles and rubber gloves.


Advertisement
Advertisement