Maintaining a Grave Marker
Keeping a loved one’s gravesite looking its best is something that you may be in charge of doing. It can be a responsibility that can stress some people, especially if they have never done this kind of maintenance before. If that is something you are worried about, you want to be sure that you know what you can expect from the process of cleaning the grave marker. To help you through it, there are some tips that directors of funeral homes in South Bend, IN want you to remember.
One of the first things you want to do is to gather the tools you need to get the cleaning done. You want to avoid anything that is abrasive, like power-washing equipment, brushes with hard bristles, and similar things. You do not want to damage the marker by using anything too rough. You also want to avoid harsh chemicals like bleach. Bleach can stain the marker and cause all manner of other issues. Instead, you want to use water, soap, and detergent.
When getting ready to provide grave marker maintenance, you want to be sure that the marker is at its best. You do not want to start the cleaning process if the marker is cracking, flaking, or crumbling. If you see that the marker is not stable, you want to avoid cleaning it.
If you have a marble grave marker, you want to start cleaning it by wetting it with water. This is because the stone absorbs liquid, and you do not want that liquid to be the cleaning solution. You want to see if there is algae or anything else growing on the marker. If there is, then you want to add a bit of ammonia to the water. Only do this if the marker is light in color, since ammonia can stain a dark marker.
If the marker is made of granite, you want to be even more gentle with it. Use a soft brush and only detergent and water. Put an ounce of detergent in about 5 gallons of water to get the right level and carefully clean the granite. Once you are done, you want to make sure that you rinse the stone and dry it.
You need to clean the grave-site about every two years. This will allow you to keep it looking its best. You do not want to use anything too harsh or abrasive for cleaning the stone, because that can create all manner of problems. If you would like to know more about the process of maintaining a grave-site or if you want to know more about anything else related to funerary services, you can turn to a South Bend, IN funeral home like us. We have years of experience, and we can help you make the right choices for a loved one who has died. Give us a call now or visit us today to ask about any questions you may have about laying a loved one to rest and get more information about our services.
