Bronze headstones are regal memorials for your loved one. But they do tend towards water spots and tarnishing. Keep your beloved’s headstone looking pristine in just a few quick steps. Leave the harsh chemicals and bristly brushes at home for a beautiful finish.
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How To Clean A Bronze Headstone
Bronze headstones are a popular choice because of their regal elegance and keeping them clean shows respect for your loved one. Over time, they get weather-damaged and start looking dull from water streaks. Regular cleaning and maintenance allow you to restore bronze markers to their original shine. Brush, clean, rinse, and buff! Then you’ll have it looking great in no time.
How To Clean Bronze Grave Markers
Regular maintenance extends the life of your loved one’s headstone, so don’t hesitate to give it a thorough cleaning.
- Brush off dirt and debris: Use a soft-bristled brush to sweep off dirt and grass from the memorial’s surface. Toothbrushes work well to remove grime from between letters and engraving. Sweeping away leaves and dirt gives you a fresh start on your cleaning project.
- Clean the marker: Wet the surface with water and continue using your soft-bristled brush to clean the marker thoroughly. Microfiber cloths remove stains without scratching the bronze surface. Use a mix of mild soap and water for tougher stains and caked-on debris.
- Rinse and dry: Rinse the memorial marker with fresh water. Pay close attention to lettering and embellishments since they are likely to hold in soapy residue. Next, use a microfiber cloth to give the headstone a lint-free drying. Again, be sure to buff around the lettering for a dry finish.
- Protect the marker: Choose a silicon-free paste wax to add a protective finish to the bronze marker. Rub the wax into the surface in circular motions.
- Buff to a sheen: Finally, buff the wax to a sheen, just as you would buff out a car’s finish. A cotton swab or small cloth helps remove excess wax from the lettering to remove any clumps. Buff out any remaining filmy residue for the highest level of protection against the environment.
- Repeat twice per year: Clean and wax a bronze memorial marker at least twice per year for the best results. You can clean them as often as once every three months, but twice a year should keep them looking like new.
Do You Need Permission To Clean A Gravestone?
The first thing to check when cleaning a headstone is whether or not you need permission from the cemetery. Some cemeteries charge an annual endowment fee, which offsets the upkeep cost.
It’s a good idea to check in at the manager’s office to be sure you are allowed to clean the marker. They can also suggest the best cleaner for the specific location and climate. The area of the country you live in makes a difference in the deterioration rate of the memorial marker.
So it’s worth a quick phone call or stop-in to verify you have permission to clean the headstone. And that you are using the right tools.
Why Do Bronze Headstones Turn Green?
Bronze markers are prone to oxidation which leaves them with a green-tinted patina. Bronze is a metal alloy that contains 88% copper and 12% tin. The copper content oxidizes when exposed to moisture. Rain, fog, and sprinklers can all affect the coloring of bronze headstones.
The greenish-blue patina is a natural occurrence that protects the metal from corrosion. In fact, the thicker the patina layer grows, the more protection it provides. Since it does not harm the metal, if you like the patina look, leave it be by all means.
The Statue of Liberty is an excellent example of a beautiful copper patina. We see her pale green form as a welcoming symbol of peace. Can you imagine if someone decided to try to clean all the oxidation from her?
Can You Use WD-40 To Clean A Bronze Headstone?
Some people use WD-40 as a protectant after cleaning a bronze headstone. I found several examples online of people who swear by it. Apparently, they first brush off dirt and debris. Then use soapy water to clean it gently. And finally, they finish the process by rubbing a cloth soaked in WD-40 over the bronze headstone to seal it.
Although I found examples of people using WD-40 to clean a bronze headstone, none were from monument or bronze manufacturers. So because the professionals do not recommend using it, neither can I.
You certainly do not want to use oil-based products on a granite or stone marker. The oil will penetrate the stone and cause discoloration. Overall, WD-40 and any oil-based cleaning or protectant products go firmly into the “Don’t Do” column.
Read: How to Clean a Granite Headstone: Tools, Guidelines
What Kind Of Bronze Cleaner Can You Use On A Headstone?
The best cleaner to use on bronze and stone headstones is water. In most instances, water and some elbow grease do a thorough job of cleaning. For stubborn water stains and caked-on substances like bird droppings or tree sap, use a soapy water mixture.
Gentle soaps like Ivory or Simple Green work best for cleaning bronze headstones. They loosen stains and debris without damaging the memorial marker. While you can purchase bronze cleaners online, only use them as a last resort. Start with the least invasive measures possible.
Use a paste wax protectant, such as Trewax® Clear Paste Wax. With no silicon, this wax safely protects bronze grave markers against oxidation from weather, sprinklers, and the acidity in the soil.
How Do You Refurbish And Restore A Bronze Memorial Plaque?
You want to keep your loved one’s headstone in tip-top condition. Especially when it is a bronze military headstone, you might hold it in higher regard. Your heart is in the right place.
However, you’ll spend significant time and energy refurbishing and restoring a bronze memorial plaque. I think the best option is to call a professional cleaner instead. Be aware of a few items if your mind is set on restoration.
- Following online advice is not always the best policy. Sometimes, people write articles with the best of intentions. And while the methods may work, you also may cause unintended damage.
- Leave the bronze painting to the professionals. Yes, you can buy the paint. And you can watch YouTube videos showing you how to proceed. But do you want to risk permanently ruining your loved one’s headstone?
- Vinegar and salt solutions you will read about may provide a good alternative for removing oxidation. However, they also kill grass and vegetation. So you could inadvertently cause more oxidation by creating a mini flood zone once the surrounding grass dies.
Refurbishing a bronze headstone is more complicated than giving it a simple periodic cleaning. The cemetery management likely provides a list of local professionals who regularly renovate and restore bronze memorials. Choose one of them for projects beyond maintenance.
Dos & Don’ts of Cleaning A Bronze Headstone
For those of you aiming to clean your loved one’s bronze headstone regularly, here are the basics of cleaning. I have boiled them down into easy-to-follow dos and don’ts.
| Do: | Don’t: |
|---|---|
| Clean 2x Per Year. Regularly clean bronze headstones at least twice each year to keep them in like-new condition. | No Poultices or Sitting Solutions. Ignore suggestions for soaking homemade solutions on the marker to remove stains. Don’t let solutions sit or soak before rinsing. |
| Use Only Water or Mild Soap. Water and mild soap like Ivory or Simple Green are the best cleaners for bronze gravestones. | No Harsh Chemicals. Avoid bleach, WD-40, window cleaners, vinegar, or lemon cleaners. |
| Use Lint-free, Microfiber Cloths. Lint-free microfiber cloths or soft-bristled brushes protect bronze markers from scratches. | No Scratchy Brushes. Metal or wire brushes can leave swirl marks on bronze headstones. Avoid using them. |
| Protect With Silicon-free Paste Wax. Seal bronze headstones with paste wax to protect against soil acidity and oxidation from moisture. | No major refurbishments. Leave significant refurbishments to the professionals. Instead, opt to “do no harm.” |
Conclusion
Cleaning a bronze headstone makes you feel good because it is a small service you can offer to a deceased loved one. Especially with bronze military markers, you want to see them in pristine condition as a way of paying respect.
Taking just a few minutes twice each year to clean and wax the headstone pays off significantly. Not only does it remove dirt and debris, but you also restore the bronze coloring by removing naturally occurring oxidation.
- Use water and mild detergent.
- No harsh chemicals.
- Use soft-bristled brushes and microfiber cloths.
- Protect with a wax paste for a long-lasting finish.
