Headstone-cleaning kits for sale in fundraiser for Friends of Boxwood

Press Release, Friends of Boxwood Cemetery

MEDINA – Headstone-cleaning kits will be available for sale through Cooper Funeral Home in Medina starting this month.

All proceeds will benefit the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery, a not-for-profit organization with a mission for the promotion and conservation of Boxwood Cemetery, to honor past generations for future generations.

Jake Hebdon, owner of Cooper Funeral Home, is a board member of the Boxwood Cemetery Commission. In recent years, Hebdon has received an increasing number of inquiries through the funeral home asking how to properly clean their loved one’s headstone.

This can be done through a monument company, however many people choose to take on the task themselves. In the latter case, it is important to educate the public on proper techniques, tools and chemicals to use that will not permanently damage the stone.

The kits are $75 each. They include a 32 oz. reusable spray bottle of D/2 Biological Solution with instructions, a plastic scrub brush, plastic scraper, a wooden pick to clean into lettering and a 2-gallon bucket for rinsing.

D/2 Biological Solution is a biodegradable, easy-to-use liquid that removes stains from mold, algae, mildew, lichens and air pollutants. It is effective on marble, granite, limestone, brownstone, travertine, masonry, terra cotta, concrete, stucco, wood, and other architectural surfaces including monuments, sculptures and headstones.

This chemical is the most highly recommended and safest chemical for headstone cleaning and is most notably used at Arlington National Cemetery, among other nationally renowned cemeteries, monuments and architectural structures. A contact time of only 10 to 15 minutes followed by scrubbing with a soft nylon or natural bristle brush will loosen most biological and air pollutant staining.

Metal utensils are not recommended, as metal will permanently scratch stone surfaces. A common chemical that should also not be used is bleach, as it is caustic and will mar granite and marble surfaces over time, along with contaminating the dirt around the stone.

The Friends of Boxwood will be hosting a stone cleaning seminar in Boxwood Cemetery on Saturday, July 15, at 10 a.m. Pre-registration is requested by emailing friendsofboxwoodcemetery@gmail.com.

People can follow us at Friends of Boxwood Cemetery on Facebook for up-to-date information.

For kit sales, please contact Hebdon at 798-5000 or cooperfuneralhome@gmail.com. Kits are expected to go quickly, but will be restocked as demand dictates.