How To Clean A White Marble Cemetery Monument

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Sharing The Burden: Ideas For Funeral Arrangements

Hello, everybody. My name is Lois, and I am in my seventies. It might be hard to believe, but I attended my first funeral when I was sixty-five years old. Since then, I have suffered the loss of quite a few family members and close friends. In fact, I have now organised over a dozen funerals. As someone who had been so blessed, it really came as a shock when I first experienced the trauma of making funeral arrangements whilst still finding time to grieve. It really taught me the importance of having an empathetic and creative funeral director that can help share the burden and honour your loved one appropriately. Hopefully, this blog will help those who, like me, had no idea about the enormity of the task a funeral organiser faces. I trust that the ideas within will prove comforting and inspiring during this difficult time. Thank you.

How To Clean A White Marble Cemetery Monument

30 November 2016
 Categories: , Blog

White marble makes a beautiful medium from which to craft headstones and other forms of cemetery monuments.  However, over time white marble can become soiled by air pollution, mould and mildew, and bird droppings, leaving it looking dull and destroying its natural sparkle.  Marble is a porous, natural stone, and it can be badly damaged and stained by the acid contained in air pollutants and animal faeces, so cleaning it regularly can help to prolong the monument's life too.

Here are some tips on how to clean white marble cemetery monuments. 

What you'll need

  • washing-up liquid
  • sponge
  • clean cloths
  • warm water and a pump sprayer
  • marble cleaning solution
  • a soft bristled brush
  • plastic scraper
  • soft-bristle toothbrush
  • bucket

How to do it

  1. The first thing to do is to fill your pump sprayer with warm water and give the monument a good dousing.  
  2. Use the plastic scraper to lift away any mould, algae or lichen from the monument.  Keep spraying the monument at intervals to keep the growth wet, making it easier to remove.  
  3. Take a small amount of mild washing-up liquid and use a damp sponge to apply it to the monument.  Add more water to the monument so that you can work the soap suds well into the marble.  
  4. Rinse away the dirty soap with plenty of clean, warm water.  
  5. Next, make up the marble cleaner in a bucket, following the manufacturer's guidelines.  
  6. Use a clean cloth or sponge to apply the solution to the monument.  Start at the top and work your way down so that the dirty water drains away, leaving the upper areas clean.  
  7. Take a soft scrubbing brush and work the cleaning solution into the marble, working from top to bottom.  
  8. Use a soft toothbrush to clean grime from inset lettering and imagery.  
  9. When the whole monument is free from grime and dirt, use plenty of clean water to rinse it off.  The easiest way to do this is by using your spray bottle.  
  10. Finish the job by wiping the monument down with a clean cloth.  This helps to get rid of any streaks that might be left by allowing the monument to air-dry.

In conclusion

You can return the cemetery monument of a departed loved-one to pristine condition by giving it an annual clean, following the instructions given above.  Regular cleaning keeps the gravesite looking respectfully clean and tidy, as well as prolonging the life of the monument by removing harmful pollutants that could otherwise damage the stone.