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Recipe for Rejuvenation
For stubborn stains, experts turn to poultices, or pastes made by combining cleaning solution with a white absorbent material such as plaster of Paris or kaolin. Ta Mara Conde of the Association for Gravestone Studies suggests this recipe for poultice:
Ingredients
- kaolin clay (dry)
- 1/2 cup glycerin
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
Mix water and glycerin together. Place dry clay in bowl and add the water; mix slowly till you form a mud pie. Wet the stone thoroughly before placing the poultice on the affected area. Wrap with plastic to keep moist and leave on for a couple of days. Remove poultice and rinse stone of all residue. (Note: Don’t use this procedure on stones that are “sugaring,” delaminating or spalling.)
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Read more about caring for old tombstones here.
Toolkit
Websites
- Cemetery Conservation
- Cemetery Conservation and Tombstone Care
- Cleaning and Preservation of Tombstones, Headstones and Gravestones
- Gravestone Preservation
Organizations
- American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 1156 15th St. NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 452-9545
- Association for Gravestone Studies, Greenfield Corporate Center, 101 Munson St., Suite 108, Greenfield, MA 01301, (413) 772-0336
- Chicora Foundation, Box 8664, Columbia, SC 29202, (803) 787-6910
- National Park Service National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, 645 University Parkway, Natchitoches, LA 71457, (318) 356-7444
Tombstone Conservation Supplies
- Cathedral Stone Products, (800) 684-0901: for D/2 and masonRE
- deGruchy’s LIME WORKS, (215) 536-6706: for historic lime mortar
- Talas, (212) 219-0770: for non-ionic cleaners
From the September 2011 issue of Family Tree Magazine
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