An LDS Family History Visit: Cleaning the Headstones We Research

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Last spring, I drove out to an old pioneer cemetary in central Utah with my cousin Dave. We’d spent six months tracking down a third-great-grandfather who’d crossed the plains in 1852. Found his name in the church records, but no one in the family had ever laid eyes on his grave. Took us three weekends of digging through microfilm and old stake directories. When we finally found the plot — way in the back, under a juniper tree — the headstone was almost black. Lichen had taken over the carved lettering. Couldn’t read a single date. Dave looked at me and said, “Well, Robert, this is your department.”

I’ve been a stonemason for twenty years. Mostly restoration work on old monuments. But that afternoon with Dave changed how I think about my job. Cleaning a headstone isn’t just about making it look nice. For LDS family history work, it’s about bringing a name back. Making the record visible again. And I’ve learned the hard way that doing it wrong can ruin the stone forever.

So here’s what I tell every family history group that asks: you can clean those headstones yourself, but you have to do it right. One mistake can erase a hundred and fifty years of history. Let me walk you through what I’ve learned.

Why LDS Family History Work and Headstone Care Go Together

When you’re doing family history research, a headstone is the final proof. It’s the physical witness that a person lived and died in a certain place. But after decades in the wheather — freeze-thaw cycles, acid rain, bird droppings, lichen — that witness can get pretty hard to read.

I’ve seen families spend hundreds of hours tracking down an ancestor’s grave, only to show up and find the inscription completely covered in moss. Or worse, they try to clean it with something harsh and end up sanding the letters off. I’ve had three calls in the past two years from distraught genealogists who used a wire brush on a marble stone because a YouTube video told them it was fine. Big mistake. Never again.

Here’s the thing: if you’re serious about LDS headstone care family history, you need to treat the stone like a primary source document. You wouldn’t scrub a microfilm with steel wool. Same idea.

The One Cleaner I Trust for Old Stones

After twenty years, I’ve settled on one product for almost all historic headstones: D/2 Biological Solution. Not sponsored. I just buy it by the gallon.

D/2 is a pH-neutral, non-ionic cleaner that works by eating the organic growth — lichen, algae, moss, soot. It doesn’t etch the stone. Doesn’t leave a residue. I’ve used it on marble, limestone, sandstone, and even some granite. Works best on marble and limestone, which are the softest and most common in old pioneer cemeteries.

Here’s my routine:

• Wet the stone with clean water first. This keeps the D/2 from soaking in too fast.
• Spray D/2 on the entire surface. Don’t be stingy.
• Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Longer if the growth is thick — I’ve let it sit for an hour on a really bad lichen job.
• Scrub gently with a soft-bristle brush. I use a natural horsehair brush. Nylon is okay if it’s very soft. Never, ever use a wire brush or anything metal.
• Rinse with low-pressure water. A garden hose with a spray nozzle is perfect. No pressure washer.

Took me three tries the first time I used D/2 on a 150-year-old limestone marker. Now I trust it completely.

What to Avoid — and Why It Matters

I’m going to be blunt here because I’ve seen too many stones ruined by well-meaning people.

Avoid harsh household chemicals. Things like generic bathroom cleaners or kitchen degreasers can react with the stone and cause pitting. Skip abrasive tools — scouring pads, steel wool, stiff nylon brushes. And steer clear of strong acids or alkaline cleaners. Even something that seems mild can eat into marble or limestone because those stones are basically compressed calcium carbonate.

Also, don’t use a pressure washer. I know it’s tempting. But even a low-pressure setting can blow the surface off an old sandstone marker. I’ve seen it happen. The stone looks clean for about five minutes, then starts flaking.

One more thing: never seal a historic headstone. Sealing traps moisture inside the stone. When that moisture freezes in winter, it expands and cracks the stone from the inside out. I’ve had to replace stones that were sealed twenty years ago. They looked like they’d been hit with a sledgehammer.

My Best Advice for a Family History Group Project

If you’re organizing a group from your ward or stake to clean headstones at a pioneer cemetery, here’s what I’d do:

First, get permission. Some cemeteries have rules about cleaning. Contact the caretaker or the church historical site office. Don’t just show up and start scrubbing.

Second, bring the right supplies. One gallon of D/2 per 20 to 30 stones, depending on size. Soft brushes — I buy bundles of horsehair brushes from a masonry supplier. Buckets of clean water. Spray bottles. Garden hoses. Latex gloves. Safety glasses.

Third, do a test patch on every stone before you clean the whole thing. Pick an inconspicuous spot, like the bottom edge. Spray D/2, wait ten minutes, rinse. If the stone looks good, proceed.

Fourth, photograph the stone before and after. This is huge for family history. Upload the cleaned photos to FamilySearch or Find a Grave. I’ve seen people cry when they finally see their ancestor’s full inscription for the first time.

Fifth, don’t rush. You’re not pressure-washing a driveway. You’re revealing a record. Slow and gentle wins.

When to Call a Professional

Sometimes a stone is too far gone for a DIY job. If the stone is cracked, flaking, or delaminating — where the surface is peeling off in layers — don’t touch it. Call a conservator. I’ve done dozens of emergency repairs on stones that were cleaned wrong, and it’s always more expensive than doing it right the first time.

Also, if the stone is made of sandstone and the inscription is carved very shallow, leave it alone. Sandstone is soft and crumbly. Even a soft brush can wear down the letters.

For LDS headstone care family history purposes, your goal is readability, not perfection. If you can read the name and dates, you’ve done your job. A stone doesn’t need to look brand new. It just needs to testify.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use D/2 Biological Solution on a granite headstone?

A: Yes, D/2 works on granite too, but granite is much harder and less porous than marble or limestone. You can scrub a little firmer with a nylon brush on granite. But still avoid pressure washing and harsh chemicals.

Q: How often should I clean a family headstone?

A: Every three to five years is plenty, unless you live in a very damp climate. Overcleaning can wear down the stone. I tell people: clean it once, take good photos, then just maintain it with an annual rinse from a garden hose.

Q: Is it safe to use D/2 on a stone that has gold leaf lettering?

A: Be careful. D/2 is generally safe, but gold leaf is fragile. I’d test a tiny spot first. Better yet, avoid spraying directly on the lettering. Use a cotton swab dipped in D/2 to clean just the stone around the letters, then rinse very gently.

Q: What if the headstone is broken or leaning? Should I try to fix it?

A: No. Don’t reset or glue a broken stone yourself. Use the wrong adhesive and you’ll make it impossible for a conservator to fix later. Just photograph it as is, note the condition in your family history record, and call a professional stonemason who specializes in monument restoration.

Q: Does cleaning a headstone affect it's historical value for family history work?

A: Yes, but in a good way. A clean stone is more readable, which means more accurate transcriptions and better photos for FamilySearch. Just make sure you document the condition before you clean, and use only pH-neutral cleaners. Never alter the stone itself — no repainting letters or adding new carvings.