My Mum's Memorial Stone is made of polished Black Granite. Not far away is a large Scots Pine Tree growing. Somehow, pehaps birds or animals sitting on the stone eating the cones or from the tree itself the stone is getting droplets of resin on it. Any suggestions what I might use to shift it without damaging the surface (ie nothing acidic or corrosive)
You can try alcohol on a rag. If you have some bug removal spray for your car, that should work.
Whatever you use, once it is removed take some car wax and put it on top of the granite. Should make removal next time a lot easier.
I use lighter fluid to clean a lot of things. It should take off sticky tree resin but I don't know about bird droppings. Vinegar may work too but be sure to rinse it off right away as it is acidic. For general cleaning/protecting try olive oil.
We have a product over here called "Goof Off" and "Goo Gone" both would work good to remove it. Also as already mentioned, rubbing alcohol works wonders to loosen up sticky goo.
... can be a little touchy, but everybody's suggestions are good.
Here's some other sources that back everybody up, plus a few more:
http://www.granitepro.net/granite_care.html
http://www.firehow.com/2010050513791/how-to-clean-granite-headstones.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5151993_clean-granite-headstone.html
I'd also suggest asking the marker maker what they used to seal it with, and get instructions from them.
Baking soda is a great non-corrosive or scratching cleaner, and white vinegar is a mild corrosive, so these plus elbow grease may win the day. I would avoid alcohol as it may cloud the polish. And the non-colored car polish is also suggested on one of those links.
At the kitchen & bath remodeling place which included granite & marble, I saw people do some pretty funky things!
Good of you Colin to care, Good Luck.
If it is "sealed" polished granite use WD-40. If it is not sealed it will stain the granite.
Is there a mousoleum on the grounds ask the grounds keepers there. They will have something for un-sealed markers or at the least be able to tell you what to get. You can also call a local gravemarker shop and they too would be able to tell you.
missed something in the trans-atlantic passage of this thread.
What in hell has shoes and boots got to do with getting pitch off a memorial stone.
And eqq them shoes would be wore out by the time I had walked home from your store.
And Duomom I think you meant mausoleum, we have a few moles but no mouses, and this is a country churchyard and don't go to any building other than the Chorch. But many thanks to all the help, I knew you would come up trumps, thankyou all.
Sussexman.
... but "eqq" did with dumping in adverts all over ... not a nice thing to do in forums.
Glad you found some useful advice :)
the moderaters were all sleeping, mind you if YB is anything to go by we shouldn't be surprised. Sorry YB nothing personal only a joke.
Sussexman
May not have the editing permissions they had in the last forum.
There's also a philosophy that the less attention given, the sooner they drift off in pursuit of tastier prey!
YB's been keepin' up!!
IF you do come across bad postings and Ads on these forums, you should report it to
AlmanacEditors@Yankeepub.com
The old moderators do NOT have the same control over things that we used to have.
... Posted (somewhere in this labyrinth) that they do try to read thru and try to catch bad posts within 24 hours.
Thanx PJ :)
