Grave Cleaning & Headstone Restoration in Hamilton Township

Removing Red Clay and Fertilizer Stains in Hamilton

Hamilton has some of the biggest cemeteries in Mercer County. In places like Greenwood and St. Mary’s, the grounds are well-kept, but the landscaping causes its own problems. We see orange rust spots on granite from lawn fertilizer and black mower marks on the corners.

The soil is also heavy red clay. It stays wet. Rain turns that clay into red soup that hits the stone base. It leaves a dark red band at the bottom. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to pull those deep stains out and to clean the old sandstone markers in the historic churchyards without ruining them.

Red Clay Mud Stains

Hamilton soil is heavy. Rain kicks up the red mud and throws it against the stone. The granite absorbs that dirty water. The mud dries, but the red color stays inside the rock.

Soap and water don't work on this. The dirt is deep in the pores. We use a clay paste. We smear it on the stain and cover it. We leave it alone for a few days. As it dries, it wicks the mud back out of the stone. We wash the paste off, and the red ring is gone.

Lichen on Historic Sandstone

Hamilton Square and Yardville have very old cemeteries. The markers are made of soft brown sandstone. Lichen loves this stone. It digs its roots right into the sand grains.

We never scrape these stones. Scrapers peel the face of the stone off. We spray a cleaner that kills the plant. It turns brown and releases its grip. We rinse it off with low pressure to keep the carving safe.

Fertilizer Rust Spots

Landscapers spread granular fertilizer to keep the grass green. Some pellets land on the headstones. The rain melts them. They leave bright orange rust spots on the grey granite.

This is a chemical stain. We use a rust remover made for stone. We dab it on the spots. It neutralizes the rust instantly. The orange color disappears, and the grey stone comes back.

Sinking in Wet Clay

Clay soil gets soft when it's wet. Heavy monuments sink into it. We see stones that are tipped over or sunk so deep you can't read the dates.

We dig the stone out. We remove the wet clay and replace it with crushed stone. We pack the stones tight. This makes a solid pad that drains water. The stone rests on this rock pad, which doesn't shift like mud.

Cleaning Marble Crosses and Statues

Hamilton has many white marble statues. They turn black from mold and mildew because the soft stone absorbs moisture. The pollution from the nearby highways makes the staining worse.

We don't use pressure washers on marble. It is too soft. We use a biological cleaner. It soaks into the pores and kills the mold. We rinse it gently. The marble brightens up over the next few weeks as the dead bacteria washes out.

Service Costs in Hamilton

Removing clay stains takes time because the paste needs to sit. Cleaning fragile sandstone requires a gentle touch and expensive biological cleaners. Resetting heavy stones in wet clay is hard labor. We need to check the plot to see the condition of the stone before we give you a price.