How to Clean a Headstone Safely

The most common headstone cleaning mistakes — household bleach, pressure washers, wire brushes, and harsh acidic cleaners like vinegar — can permanently etch the stone, strip inscriptions, and accelerate weathering. Damage often shows up only months later, when salt residues wick back to the surface or microcracks deepen with the next freeze. Headstones are meant to last centuries; a single afternoon of aggressive cleaning can shorten that lifespan dramatically. Patience and the right materials always outperform speed.

Safe supplies for cleaning a headstone at home:

• A soft natural-bristle brush (never wire — natural fiber or soft nylon only)
• A non-ionic, pH-neutral cleaner — D/2 Biological Solution is the gold standard, used by the National Park Service on national monuments
• Several gallons of clean water
• A plastic or wooden scraper for gently lifting heavy lichen (never metal)
• Soft cotton cloths or microfiber towels
• A spray bottle for applying water and solution

What NOT to use: bleach, vinegar, ammonia, dish soap, wire brushes, steel wool, pressure washers, or any abrasive household cleaner. These can etch, stain, or strip the stone — sometimes irreversibly.

Work in shaded conditions whenever possible. Direct sun on a wet stone causes solutions to evaporate too quickly and can leave streaks or residue. An overcast day, early morning, or late afternoon is ideal.

1. Saturate the stone with clean water. A wet surface prevents the cleaning solution from being absorbed into dry pores and helps it work evenly. Soak the entire face of the marker until it stays visibly wet.
2. Apply D/2 Biological Solution. Spray a generous, even coat across the stone. Don't dilute it — D/2 is designed to be used at full strength.
3. Let it dwell briefly, then scrub gently. Wait a minute or two, then use a soft natural-bristle brush to scrub in light circular motions. Let the cleaner do the work — never bear down on the brush.
4. Use a plastic scraper for stubborn lichen. If thick lichen patches remain, lift them carefully with a plastic or wooden scraper. Never use metal tools.
5. Rinse thoroughly with clean water. Flush the entire stone — top to bottom — until no cleaner residue remains. Pay attention to inscriptions and recessed areas where solution can pool.
6. Let the stone air-dry. D/2 continues working for weeks after application, so don't be alarmed if the stone keeps lightening over the following days — that's the cleaner doing its job.

Not every marker is made of the same material, and each responds differently. Granite is the most durable and forgiving. Marble is significantly softer and more porous — extra-gentle scrubbing is essential, and you should never use anything mildly abrasive on it. Limestone is even more porous than marble and especially vulnerable to acidic cleaners and hard water; on limestone, less is more. Bronze plaques require a different approach altogether — a dedicated bronze cleaner and a soft cloth, never abrasives, never D/2.

Some stones are best left to a trained conservator. Deep, established lichen colonies, advanced biological staining, cracked or flaking surfaces, fragile or worn inscriptions, and very old or soft stones (older marble, limestone, sandstone) all benefit from professional restoration. If the stone feels gritty when you brush a finger across it, or if pieces flake off, stop immediately and reach out for help. For families across Utah County, that's exactly what Sacred Stone Co. is here for.