A rise in ‘grave cleaning transformation’ videos could put more historic headstones at risk of damage.
A rising trend in DIY gravestone cleaning videos has caused concern that improper technique could be causing irreversible damage.
A rise in ‘before and after’ videos on social media show people cleaning gravestones with a range of techniques, sometimes using wire brushes, pressure washers and acidic cleaning fluids.
“We’re now seeing more damage from household cleaners than from vandalism,” said Alex Essex, stone specialist at Patio Black Spot Removal . “People think they’re restoring a grave but, in many cases, they’re permanently damaging it.”
The company is now warning that the boom in DIY cleaning may be leaving permanent damage and staining on memorials across the country.
“The majority of older graveyard memorials are constructed of Portland limestone or Bathstone, the latter being easier to carve, but softer, meaning it has a shorter life, hence the reason the War Graves Commission no longer allow the use of Bathstone in graveyards,” said Essex.
“The combination of black algae and white fungi, that you see on gravestones, give off hydrochloric acid, which dissolves limestone, this is a main cause of gnarled older memorials, as this combination eats away the stone.
“While a freshly scrubbed headstone may look cleaner immediately, the real damage often appears months later when marble begins to crumble, limestone starts to flake and weaken, lead lettering loosens, discolours or falls out, chemical burns permanently stain stone, and you notice plants and grass dying from chemical runoff.”
Heritage and church authorities in the UK have long warned that improper cleaning can cause irreversible damage to gravestones.
The Scottish Episcopal Church advises that, as a general rule, gravestones should not be cleaned at all except by an experienced conservator.
Historic England’s guidance is similarly cautious, describing well-meaning cleaning of any kind can stain surfaces or accelerate stone deterioration.
While there has been a surge in visibility of DIY cleaning, families too are being warned that the improper maintenance of a loved one’s gravestone could lead to permanent damage.
“We’ve seen families try to clean lettering with bleach, only to realise the name has faded beyond recovery,” said Essex. “What looked like a £2 cleaning job can quickly become a £2,000 restoration, if it’s even possible.”
