Anything outside in the elements for years, decades, centuries can get a build of dirt, grime, lichen or more. The headstones at Riverside Cemetery are no different. While many families do take care of and clean the stones of their deceased loved ones, there are numerous markers which do not get tended. Perhaps the family has moved away or all of the members have died.
Riverside Cemetery Manager Kelly Schott said about half of the headstones could use a good cleaning.
She gave volunteers an opportunity to clean some of them on Saturday during a marker and headstone cleaning workshop led by Stone Setters of Iowa owner Josh Noftsger.
Schott chose the Reed plot in the Catholic area of Riverside and the Downer plot in Founder’s Row. She contacted Reed’s granddaughter and asked if her grandfather’s marker could be used in the class.
“She hadn’t been here for a while and asked us if there was anybody who could clean a stone,” Schott said. “She was the first one since I have been here to ask for it. The Downer plot we just chose because it was within walking distance and it has everything – darkening, inward and outward engraving, some ornate carvings. It also has really nice edging. This family is gone. It’s also larger, so everyone could try cleaning.”
Six people attended the class and learned about the porousness of granite, how certain chemicals can stain marble and the proper chemicals and tools to use in order to clean without damaging the stone.
The cleaners Noftsger uses include D2, Dawn dish soap and others without ingredients which are difficult to pronounce or ammonia.
“If there’s a monument with black lettering, the ammonia will strip it” he said.
Many of the tools and cleaners Noftsger uses can be purchased at Walmart or Menards. He started with bringing out a pair of long cleaning gloves and said a lot of the cleaning should be performed with a pair. Hands might become odorous, but will not be damaged.
A lot of the elbow grease can be easier with toothbrushes, soft-bristled brushes, scrapers and serrated steak knives. The latter is something he uses to cut grass and weeds away from the markers, creating a thin border.
At the Catholic area, Noftsger gave a demonstration of the process, starting with watering down the marker and then spraying with D2 cleaner. He left the cleaner alone for a couple minutes and gave it time to work which was apparent from some bubbling.
“D2 is safe and recognized by Arlington,” Noftsger said. “A gallon is $60.”
If someone does not want to wait, he suggested using dish soap, but added it might kill the grass and vegetation immediately surrounding the marker.
Noftsger then used a soft-bristled brush and scrubbed the stone, resulting in brown-colored suds. He sprayed the suds away, drawing sounds of surprise from the workshop students at the difference of the marker color.
“That is a night and day difference,” Schott said. “That is fabulous, like a whole new stone.”
Noftsger added after the product is washed off, further cleaning will not be achieved with more scrubbing. However, he sprayed the marker once more with D2 and said it would almost act like a wax, continuing to clean and breaking through buildup and growth for weeks.
Toward the end of cleaning the Downer monument, Schott said she would like to host a headstone cleaning workshop at least once per year, either in the spring or fall.
“We want family members, even young children, to see this is what we do, this is how we care for our stones,” she said.
Saturday’s class was Noftsger’s first headstone cleaning workshop, but not his first visit to Riverside.
“Riverside Cemetery is unique,” he said. “The pond and the geese are the most prominent things. Overall, any big cemetery is one that has been around for a long time and they have old monuments of the founders and prominent people.”
Stone Setters primarily sells new monuments and does restorations of pioneer cemeteries.
“Dirty monuments are not something people are too concerned about, but it is a nuisance,” he said.
Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.