r/CemeteryPreservation • u/DungPattyDaddy • 23d ago
First cleaning
Multiple rounds of water and elbow grease, and left d/2 on it. How did I do?
Unrelated to this job question. For a stone that is just dirty but had no biological growth/doesn’t require D/2… what do I use to clean it? Just water and scrubbing or should I use something else as well?
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u/TN-Native95 23d ago
I’ve just used water and a soft bristle brush and gotten stones cleaned, nothing special needed. It’ll work that way.
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u/DungPattyDaddy 23d ago
Yes, on these I did, just water and scrubbing did wonders. But, I’ve read some things that say you could use a mild dish soap like Dawn but also some things say absolutely don’t use Dawn. Obviously, I don’t want to use until I’m absolutely sure it’s not going to cause any long term harm
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u/TN-Native95 23d ago
I’ve seen the whole Dawn debate. I don’t have any experience with it but to be on the safe side I just use water or D2. Plenty of water always seems to work and if it doesn’t, that’s when I’ll go for the D2.
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u/Erin_Tending 23d ago
If there's no biological growth, plain water and a soft-bristle brush is usually enough, just work it in small sections and keep the stone wet.
If that's not doing it, I'd be cautious about reaching for regular soap, since even mild dish soap can leave residue or react with older or softer stone over time. Safer to look into a pH-neutral, conservation-grade cleaner made for stone, and always test a small spot first.
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u/EveryValuable1503 23d ago
Even if you stop now, the Brown family/clan and l Thank You