Granite Memorials: Care and Maintenance

Granite is a durable and beautiful material that is often used for memorials and monuments of all kinds. However, even granite requires regular care and maintenance to keep it looking its best. Here are some do’s and don’ts of granite care:

Don’ts

• Do not use harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners on your memorial.
• Do not use a metal wire brush to clean your memorial, as this can cause deep scratches and grooves. 
• Do not apply a granite sealer to a memorial. This can cause damage and staining.
• Do not scrub at decorative paint or gold leaf on your monument. This can cause damage and/or removal of the paint and gold leaf. If you believe the paint or gold leaf needs cleaning, please reach out to us so we can let you know the best way to clean your particular memorial. 
• Do not apply wax or polish to granite. This includes lipstick and lipgloss and lotions. Do not kiss the monument as even natural oils and acids from your skin can stain a monument in the right circumstances. All of these substances can stain a memorial. If you must kiss a monument, please consider kissing a section that is not polished. 
• Do not place metal objects such as coins, wire mountings for seasonal decorations, or other apparatus directly on the monument. These will stain when the metal starts to weather, which can occur within days to weeks, or months depending on the particular metal and the weather. 
• We do not recommend mounting anything to the top of your monument. We are aware that there are types of decorations marketed for placing floral arrangements and other decorations to the top of a monument. However, even the hard plastic versions of these can catch dirt and grime on the wind that can cause abrasions to the surface of the monument through time that can cause dulling of the polish or visible scratches. These features can also cause a change in the path of water down your monument that can lead to accelerated growth of fungal/bacterial colonies (which cause dark discoloration) and lichen. If you are absolutely locked on the idea of hanging a holiday wreath on your monument, we recommend hanging it from the top of your monument using thick twine and removing the decoration once the season has passed. Make sure no floral wire (which can stain and scour at the monument) is in contact with the monument. Evergreen sap can also stain a monument. It is best to make sure it does not contact the monument. 

Do’s

• Clean the granite with a mild liquid dish detergent and water (that do not contain “citrus” anywhere in the name or list of ingredients as this can stain) and a soft plastic-bristle brush, when needed. Make sure to use plain bottled drinking water from your home or the supermarket – do not use the water from the cemetery as these sometimes have impurities that can stain the monument. (Water provided at cemeteries is for watering plants). Rinse the granite thoroughly after cleaning to remove soap residues.
• Remove the sleeves from vases in the autumn to avoid damage to the vases. This applies to both cast metal and granite vases. 
• Contact a company you trust (like Hudson Monuments) promptly if you find your memorial has been damaged or stained, or otherwise has an issue. The quicker an issue can be addressed, the better the odds of a happy outcome. This also applies to antique memorials. 
• Keep false and natural floral arrangements away from the granite as they begin to degrade/rot. Natural pigments and dyes can cause staining to a memorial. 
• Enjoy your memorial.

By following these do’s and don’ts, you can help keep your memorial looking its best for years to come.