Top Tips - Caring For Your Headstone

It is a very troubling time when someone you love passes away but you can help to overcome the grief by ensuring that they have a good headstone. There are many different materials available for making sure that your relative has a marker that ensures that they will not be forgotten. Many of us are guilty of neglecting headstones once your loved one is buried. Read on for top tips on caring for your headstone to allow the memory of your loved one to shine brightly.

The care that the headstone needs largely depends on the material that it is made from. The most common materials used for headstones nowadays are marble, granite and bronze. For marble and granite headstones, keeping them clean is a relatively easy task. The headstone can be gently cleaned with a solution made of 50% water and 50% bleach. Soak the headstone with the solution using a paper towel.

Once you have applied the solution, you need to allow it to soak in. The general rule of thumb is that you let the solution do its magic for at least 30 minutes. After this time, take some clean, ordinary water and wipe away all of the residue. This will leave the headstone clean and fresh.

If your relative has a bronze headstone the situation is slightly different. Bronze headstones are made from a mixture of other metals and so it is necessary to know what metals are included in your relative's headstone. You should be able to get this information from the salesman who sold you the headstone.

If you do feel it is necessary to clean the bronze headstone, then you can do so with a mild solution. Take 8 ounces of plain water and mix it with one tablespoon of ivory soap. Take a small nail brush and briskly rub the solution into the headstone. Rinse with plain water and repeat the process if necessary. Finally, rinse with distilled water and then polish it to make the headstone gleam again.

It is possible to buy ready-made kits that are suitable for caring for your headstone. These are available from many stockists and are fairly inexpensive. By making sure that your loved one's headstone is well looked after, you can ensure that their memory is aptly honoured.