Marge, I know that the black granite, I think the proper name is India black granite, is an alltogether different stone than the ones that we caution people not to use harsh cleaners and any kind of sealant on. We used India Black Granite to make a Veteran's Memorial in Gibson Co., and I had read somewhere that this stone is high on the hardness scale, and less porous than other marbles. This is the stone of choice for etching pictures and scenery on, because of it's hardness the surface can be polished to a glass-like finish. I have seen some of these that are 15+ years old, and still look brand new. This may be an acceptable cleaning and polishing method, as long as one understands the same thing may not be so good on the softer and more porous marbles and other stones. I think Jack Briles and John Walters are our most experienced stone people, maybe they can offer some advise on the cleaning and polishing techniques on this type of stone. Ernie At 11:01 PM 02/12/2002 -0600, you wrote: >FYI - In our local paper there is a weekly column by "The Queen of Clean", >Anne Cobb. >Someone wrote in asking how to keep her husband's black marble headstone >clean. >The "queen" said to "use 1 part liquid fabric softener to 2 quarts >water. After cleaning, polish with a soft cloth. To seal and protect the >marble, apply a coat of "Clean Shield Surface Treatment". Stains, grass, >and dirt will wipe right off." >Does anyone have an opinion on this? I've never used the product but she >gave a 800 number and I've seen her advertising it on TV. > >Marge >"Life is not a dress rehearsal. >Live it before the road runs out of bricks" > > >==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== >If we cannot respect the dead, how can we respect the living?