Excellent video. I bought each product from indicated sources.

Thanks for the tip. There are several WWI and WWII headstones in my local graveyard covered in lichen. I've wanted to clean them up, but I didn't want to damage them.

Orvus is a neutral ph detergent which is very important. It won't deteriorate stone or metal. It is a surfactant so it lowers the surface tension of water allowing it to soak in better. It is also used to wash delicate cloth, bathe animals such as horses, dogs, and what ever else needs a gentle cleaning. It is used to clean Oriental rugs, vintage/antique clothing. It is great. I used it when I was a drycleaner. Just don't use too much or it will take lots of water and time to rinse it.

Excellent video full of great information. Many thanks.

Just a soft or medium bristle (nylon) brush?

Thanks for the explanation of Black Goo. I've got an excess of D/2 for my needs and have been using it in the no-scrub method for years. Does the Orvis work in a no-scrub method, or does it require manual scrubbing for best results?

How about Wet and Forget? It is a bit less expensive than D/2.

err, what? So the real work was done using "D2 biological cleaner" but no details are given of what that is, how it was applied, or where it comes from. What a totally useless video.

I need to clean ALOT of families stones. My cousin takes care of the mowing in one of my families and other people families Cemetery. But,he doesn't take care of the stones. Their all overed and our grama wouldn't be very happy to see what's become of her stone and others.

I like how you go about cleaning the stones. Would like to see more stones being cleaned and it's cool to listen to the brush sounds.

Super helpful! Thank you sir!

For Charles Jones, being killed while descending in a parachute was considered bad form and it would make you the top focus of any enemy gunman. I remember a story where one German pilot was killing American pilots while hanging from a parachute. Another American pilot was so pissed he shot down this pilot, taking special care to only damage the plane to where it would no longer fly, forcing the German pilot to parachute to safety. The American pilot flew by the German pilot making sure the German pilot knew he was about to be shot and killed while dangling helplessly from a parachute. Just reward for his bad tactics. My grandmother's brother was a B-17 pilot who was lucky enough to survive the war. My father and uncle survived Vietnam. When I graduated high school, I wanted to enlist to either be an AH64 Apache attach helicopter pilot, or become a sniper. Medical issues prevented this, but at 53 with no corrective lenses, I can still hold a 1/4 to 1/2 inch pattern with multiple rounds at the local range.

They say not to use any power tools, but I agree, an electric toothbrush is great for getting into some engraving. I'd also suggest some sharp tipped wooden skewers for getting into the engravings. The sharp angle of the tip is great for the deep engraving. They also make matts for working in gardens that is an inch or more of soft foam that is easier on the knees. It's maybe 18x30 inches. It's probably lighter weight, and much more comfortable.

I still would have sprayed a light coat of D2 to ensure the stone was as clean as it could be and as much organic growth as possible was killed for a longer lasting deep clean. Very nice work and video though. Love this series.

I did roof and exterior cleaning for many years. There are over 12,000 species of lichen and 13,000 species of moss. Some have microfilament root systems that dig in and hold on for dear life, and others (mainly moss) had no discernable root system and would break free with very little pressure, such as my chemical hose bumping it as I moved across while cleaning a higher section of roof. In warm weather these would take 30-90 days to decay and weather away on roofs as we did not scrub as it would damage asphalt roofing. Of course this timeline was in warm weather. If it was over winter, the decaying process would almost totally stop, similar to putting a raw steak in a freezer versus leaving it outdoors in the summer.

Does this work good on moss or other gravestone stains?

Just FYI, the VA recommends Ivory Liquid as an alternative.

Whats the difference in D/2 Biological Solution and Wet & Forget?

Circus music? Odd choice.

I have just a little black goo on a couple of head markers. Are there any at home remedies that might do the job?

Products?

I use these two material together… prewash with Orvus and water then treat with D/2… great results!

Orvus is also sold in small bottles as “Quilt Soap”… it is so gentle it is recommended for cleaning antique fabrics and lace. So if you don’t think you’ll ever use up that big jug, you need to look for these other uses! Plus of course it is a horse cleaner, that’s the original use, so you could buy a horse. 😂

Thank you! This is great info to have.

Why not cut D2 at a 35/65 (with water) and use that as a cleaning agent..? Yes, the cost is higher, but the results are outstanding

Wonder information and great tips. Thank you. 😊

I use Orvus soap in addition to the water. I saw your vid on the comparison and I thought it interesting, I do the water and soap to get as clean as possible then treat with D2.

How do I get in touch with u.

Looks great !

Thanks I need to clean off my grandma's headstone

How do you feel about Wet It and Forget it> AND....could a person use the Orvis for major cleaning and then come back and hit it with the D or the Wet and Forget.

Thank you for your information

Thanks - great info!

Thank you for this!!

Thank you.

People Need to know the address to write to if they want too buy some of the cleaning solution.

Thank you. I'm looking to start a grave maintenance service. Looking for the best solvent.

Love this video - thanks!

And make sure to Lichen subscribe! :D

Great demonstration 👍 thanks from Ireland 🇮🇪

MORE CLEANING AND PRESERVATION INFORMATION -- go to the National Cemetery Administration website [part of the US Dept of Veterans Affairs] and in their search box search for "Fact Sheet: Cleaning Government - Furnished Headstones / Markers " See also KZbin postings: "Veteran Headstone Cleaning Protocol for Private and Municipal Cemeteries" and "MUST watch before cleaning Gravestones, by a Stone Carver" and "How to Properly Clean Gravestones" by the Statesboro-Bulloch County Library Also: "Best trick ever to read old gravestones given by a stonecarver"

GOOD CLEANING AND PRESERVATION INFORMATION -- go to the National Cemetery Administration website [part of the US Dept of Veterans Affairs] and in their search box search for "Fact Sheet: Cleaning Government - Furnished Headstones / Markers " See also KZbin postings: "Veteran Headstone Cleaning Protocol for Private and Municipal Cemeteries" and "MUST watch before cleaning Gravestones, by a Stone Carver"

INFORMATION -- go to the National Cemetery Administration website (just google it) [part of the US Dept of Veterans Affairs] and in their search box search for "Fact Sheet: Cleaning Government - Furnished Headstones / Markers " See also KZbin postings: "Veteran Headstone Cleaning Protocol for Private and Municipal Cemeteries" and "MUST watch before cleaning Gravestones, by a Stone Carver"

MORE CLEANING AND PRESERVATION INFORMATION -- go to the National Cemetery Administration website (just google it) [part of the US Dept of Veterans Affairs] and in their search box search for "Fact Sheet: Cleaning Government - Furnished Headstones / Markers " See also KZbin postings: "Veteran Headstone Cleaning Protocol for Private and Municipal Cemeteries" and "MUST watch before cleaning Gravestones, by a Stone Carver"