Okay, I’ve told so many people how I’ve made one-hundred-year-old headstones look like new again. They look at the photos and ask, “What did you use to get that result?” They also remark, “You must have worked hours on cleaning that!” The product I used was Wet & Forget (W&F). I sprayed the stone twice in two years to bring it back to this condition. I bought the Wet & Forget Outdoor which is pre-diluted and has a built-in sprayer.
The name itself implies the effort required for great results. You literally spray the product on and leave it alone. It works without any scrubbing. It could take a few applications of the product. This depends on the amount of organic growth on the stone, such as mildew, moss, lichens, and mold.
W&F is approved by the National Cemetery Administration. The National Park Service conducted studies on safe gravestone cleaners. They tested and recommended a biological cleaner called D/2. That product is a Quaternary ammonium compound-based product, found to be a safe product recommended for cleaning headstones. W&F also has the same properties, so it falls under the safe cleaners to use. It also has no acids, salts, bleach, or ammonia that can damage headstones.
There are plenty of critics who say not to use it because it is not specifically mentioned by the NPS. In my opinion, it has the same compounds as D/2, so that should make it acceptable? I reached out to the company for more information, and this was the response:
Our Wet & Forget Outdoor concentrate is safe for many delicate surfaces such as granite, marble, slabs, copings, etc. Our Ready to Use is a good product for this as well.
In the United States a study was conducted by the NCPTT for acceptable and readily available products for cleaning headstones. Wet & Forget was not on the market in the US at the time, therefore was not
available for the study. The study concluded quaternary ammonium compound-based products are recommended for cleaning headstones. Wet & Forget is a quaternary ammonium compound, therefore is an approved solution for cleaning headstones. We’ve been in contact with the NCPTT, and they confirmed quaternary ammonium products are still the proper approach to cleaning headstones and they have no plans for further testing.
It’s up to you, though. Do you’re own research and talk to other organizations. Our historical society has used it on some limestone monuments we have on our property. It has not caused any damage. If you’re unsure, spray a small spot and see how it reacts. You must dilute the concentrated version 1:5 (one part W&F to five parts water). Look on the bottle to see if it says it’s ready to use or concentrated.
I’ve talked to folks who say they just use bleach on headstones. STOP!!!! Do not use these harsh cleaning products. They will clean it short-term, but damage the headstone long-term. The National Park Service study advises against bleach products:
Bleach and bleach-like products, such as Chlorox, Chlorox Outdoor, or Daybreak should not be used to clean marble headstones. While these products are good at killing fungi and other microbes, they are harsh cleaners that leave behind soluble salts. Over time these products will lead to surface loss and powdering of the marble. If cleaning products contain sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate, sodium persulfate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, calcium hypochlorite or urea peroxide, do not use them for cleaning the headstone.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of other testimonials that show the positive results of Wet & Forget. You can visit the company’s blog. Alternatively, visit the Wet & Forget Crew Facebook group to see more amazing results from this product.
Remember to check the cemetery’s rules & regulations about cleaning headstones. Most of them state that no harsh chemicals, wire brushes, or other abrasive cleaners are used. It’s also good practice to get permission to clean headstones–even if it is your own family’s.
Have you used Wet & Forget on headstones? Have you used it on other monuments? Share your experience and the results in the comment section.
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The Weekend Historian 