On May 3, 2012, at 1:13 PM, Kathie Harrison wrote: Tom, I started that list and it was hugely subscribed to and I ran it for the first couple years and had alot of bickering on it with the pros and cons of cleaning tombstones... -----------snip---------- I have a few grave markers I need to visit and clean. What's the best method or solution? Gale Gorman Houston

what kind of stones are they? Cleaning is not same for every stone. Most requires only water. David Samuelsen On 5/3/2012 12:33 PM, Gale Gorman wrote: > > On May 3, 2012, at 1:13 PM, Kathie Harrison wrote: > > Tom, I started that list and it was hugely subscribed to and I ran it > for the first couple years and had alot of bickering on it with the > pros and cons of cleaning tombstones... > -----------snip---------- > > I have a few grave markers I need to visit and clean. What's the best method or solution? > > Gale Gorman > Houston > > ===== > If you would prefer digest mode to mail mode, drop a note to roots-admin@rootsweb.com and ask for the digest... > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

I have never cleaned an tombstones, so I really do not know. I do know of some that were cleaned by someone else. They used soap (not detergent), water and a wire brush. These markers were heavily covered with lichen. The markers were white marble. I believe the cleaning was benificial to the markers, as they are in better shape than some simular ones near by. They were clean about ten or fifteen years ago. For the real picky folks, anything that you rub against a stone will scratch or dull the finish on a polish marker. That includes making rubbing. A wire brush can have a couple of effects. First off it technically scratches the marker. If the wire is of plain steel (iron), some of the steel wears off. These tiny particles will make a brown rust spot on the marker years later. Soft wire brushes (aluminum or brass) will mark (write on) the marker. That will erode way in years to come. Last but not least is the water. Almost all tape water has cloriene in it any more. If it is an area where the water is hard, (mineral deposit) that can stain the marker. If I do any cleaning before taking a picture it is just brushing off the loose grass and bird crap. I use a three or four inch soft paint brush for that. I poke the handle of that in my back pocket when not in use. TR --- On Thu, 5/3/12, Gale Gorman <gale_gorman@me.com> wrote: From: Gale Gorman <gale_gorman@me.com> Subject: Re: [ROOTS-L] Cleaning tombstones To: "Kathie Harrison" <harrison28@gmail.com> Cc: JYoung6180@aol.com, ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com, knoxcone@yahoo.com Date: Thursday, May 3, 2012, 1:33 PM On May 3, 2012, at 1:13 PM, Kathie Harrison wrote: Tom, I started that list and it was hugely subscribed to and I ran it for the first couple years and had alot of bickering on it with the pros and cons of cleaning tombstones... -----------snip---------- I have a few grave markers I need to visit and clean. What's the best method or solution? Gale Gorman Houston