ACPA - Alabama Cemetery Restoration

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Cleaning Stones - Part 2

(1)

Remove any loose debris or plant life (see above)

(2)

Thoroughly wet the stone with a hose and running water. The water will wash away some of the dirt or biological material, and also is essential to prevent the stone from absorbing the detergent you will be using as the next step in cleaning. If you don't have a source of running, potable water don't attempt to clean the stone!

(3)

Thoroughly wet the stone with running water from a hose. This, of course, isn't necessary if this step follows basic water cleaning since the stone will ready be wet.

(4)

Rinse the brush frequently! Use a clean brush to clean with; don't abrade the gravestone by dragging dirt, sand, particles of broken stone, twigs, etc. across the surface you are supposed to be protecting.

(5)

Use clean water. If the gravestone is particularly dirty, change your bucket of water frequently, so that you are not dipping your brush into a suspended solution of the grit and biological matter you are removing. This is another convenience of having water running over the stone throughout the cleaning.

(6)

Rinse the stone thoroughly with water.

Cleaning with Vulpex Soap

(1)

Thoroughly wet the stone with running water from a hose. This, of course, isn't necessary if this step follows basic water cleaning since the stone will ready be wet.

Vulpex Liquid Soap is potassium methyl cyclohexyl oleate and has a pH of 10.5 to 11.5. Undiluted it has a flash point of 123EF. Diluted with water it is considered noncombustible. There are no specific hazards in handling either the concentrate or diluted solutions. Since Vulpex is a most efficient degreaser, you should use protective gloves. Odors or fumes from the water solutions of Vulpex are not known to be harmful, but adequate ventilation should be used. You should avoid splashing the liquid in your eyes. Ask the supplier for a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for additional safety information.

(2)

Create a cleaning solution of water and Vulpex Liquid Soap (1 ounce Vulpex to 1 gallon of water, yielding a 1% solution) in a clean bucket. Don't make more than a gallon at a time.

(3)

Dip your soft-bristle brush in the soap solution and scrub the stone with very light pressure in a circular motion to dislodge soil/biological growth from the stone. Work from the bottom of the stone up toward the top - this prevents staining and streaking as clean water drains downward. Do not use a dry brush! Never apply the undiluted soap directly to the stone! Allow a water hose to run on the stone as you clean. Remember: the less soap you use and the shorter its contact time with the stone, the better. If you allow the soap to remain in contact with the stone, there is more of a chance of it being deeply absorbed and perhaps causing future chemical deterioration of the stone.

(4)

Rinse your brush frequently using clean water, then dip it back into the soap bucket to pick up more Vulpex solution. Don't abrade the gravestone by dragging dirt, sand, particles of broken stone, twigs, etc. across the surface you are supposed to be protecting. It is also hard to see if you have finished cleaning a stone if all you are doing is dragging a slurry of dirt and debris around and around with your brush.

(5)

Remember that if biological materials continue to cling to the stone, you may use a wooded popsicle stick, or bamboo skewer to gently pry or scrape the material away from the surface if the stone is in stable condition. Do not dig at it! Digging, gouging, and hard scraping will damage the stone. If the material continues to cling, use more water. Eventually water will soften all biological materials enough to allow them to be safely removed.

(6)

If at any time you feel that the stone you are working on is unstable - it flakes, spalls, or sugars (produces lots of grit) - STOP IMMEDIATELY and get assistance.

(7)

When the stone is clean, rinse it thoroughly with water. This means allowing water to run over the stone for at least an additional five minutes - about the time it will take you to locate the next stone to be cleaned and get set up.

(8)

Never undertake cleaning is freezing temperatures are anticipated within the next 24 hours.

(Part 3 - continued on following page)

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