Sunday, April 5, 2009

Time for Spring Cleaning

I took my mother for a drive last week and we stopped at Onondaga Valley Cemetery to visit my paternal grandparents grave. The stone is in need of cleaning and I need to get the shrubs that were planted nearly 40 years ago removed and replaced.

The company that the monument was purchased from is just a couple of minutes from where I work so I'll stop this week to see if they have a cleaning solution that is safe to use.

Many of the nearby monuments are in much worse shape and I've been walking for exercise in the local cemetery and have noticed many stones there that also need a good cleaning. I wouldn't mind cleaning them but I'm hesitant because I don't know any of these families. I would be very careful and I have read up and watched some videos about safe methods but still there is a chance I could leave some scratches or do other damage I guess.

What would you do? Have you ever cleaned a stone as a random act of kindness?

1 comment:

Velda said...

I have...before I read that you're really not supposed to do that :) I cleaned it with a plastic ice scraper, I live in Canada, we have ice in the winter lol..the moss (both white and green) came off super easy. I've only cleaned a shiny red granite stone. I wouldn't even consider touching a plain white older stone...they look like they would just fall apart. I will now only clean family stones, I hate to cause damage to anyone else. If it's your family, I would definitely clean it off :)