Best Brush for Cleaning Veteran Headstones

[@catsrkool1284]

its nice that you spend ur time cleaning veteran head stones🙂

[@theyfaceeast]

Hopefully a couple million people will join me this year, so we can each clean three or four and be done in one day.

[@anitakalli100]

Great to see you again Trae. You were the person who inspired me to clean veteran headstones. God bless you sir. 🇺🇸 🙏🏼

[@theyfaceeast]

I had to take a summer family vacation while school was out. It will be busy now gearing up for Veterans Day and then Memorial Day. Thank you for cleaning veteran headstones!

[@mrunknown6056]

I have so much respect for this man

[@theyfaceeast]

I hope every American looks closely at the faces of those who sacrificed their lives, for us, in Afghanistan this week. We take them for granted as evidenced by the filthy veteran headstones of our hometown military heroes. On our watch we failed to maintain the graves of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who selflessly stood on that wall. Maybe by Veterans Day 2021 we will feel it important enough to scrub the nastiness off our local veteran headstones. Maybe by Memorial Day 2022 we will have a Volunteer assigned to each and every veteran Grave in each and every Cemetery.

[@mrunknown6056]

@@theyfaceeast honestly I couldn’t agree more even in Canada local military headstones are filthy and it makes me feel sick just thinking about what they had to go though and we can’t take proper care of them it’s truly sad

[@Sebi076]

I am grateful for our veterans and out serving of this great country and I show my love to this great country as much as I can. I do not care what the people who live here who seemingly hate this country think since they do not see or know how magnificent it is. God bless.

[@theyfaceeast]

Amen Sebi. My heart hurts for those killed in Afghanistan this week, and their loved ones. Watch our service members standing tall among those Afghans, fearless despite knowing a suicide bomber is lurking in the crowd. They are the finest our country produces.

[@steven.h0629]

Great brush comparisons.. all very cool.

[@theyfaceeast]

Thank you Steven. I'm not sure why nobody has ever filmed a Battle of the Brushes for headstone cleaning. If they did, I found no results when searching Google and KZbin.

[@natalieangelo54]

Amazing video , i caught someone using a metal bristle brush , i said omg no , stop ur removing the etchings , THK GOD THEY STOPPED , YOUR VIDEO TAUGHT ME the correct way to clean and preserve these stones , thk you and GOD BLESS ALL THOSE THAT SERVED AND GOD BLESS AMERICA 🙏❤🇺🇸

[@Paul-si7lo]

Trae, thanks for doing this much-needed research and video. Bravo!

[@Headstoneman]

Glad to see an upload from you again!

[@theyfaceeast]

School was out for summer, so we headed to the Florida Keys for some family time. I did visit the large cemetery in Key West hoping to shoot a video there, but all the headstones were CLEAN! I plan to produce more veteran headstone cleaning and American history videos in the coming months. I will have a booth at the Gettysburg Civil War Show October 30th and 31st if anyone would like to stop by. I'll be visiting veteran graves from SW Florida to Gettysburg PA and back.

[@marine-kj4ct]

Love the video man

[@theyfaceeast]

Thank you Andrew!

[@Supercheeseburger666]

Great Job, Trae ! 😀

[@kadenm9522]

Glad to see a new video keep em coming doing great

[@bricelangston8634]

I like to detail my own cars and use a horse hair brushes to clean leather seats. I figure if you can use Boar's hair, you can probably use horse hair. Its a bit softer and horse hair brushes come in the similar large sizes and can probably hold up to the D2.

[@dc-wp8oc]

Is the cleaning solution compatible with all the typical tombstone materials, granite, marble and limestone? Are there other cleaning solution options? After cleaning, is there a method or material which will highlight the engraving for better readability?

[@timroche1947]

Hi Mr. Zipperer, Because of your site I am doing my BSA Eagle Scout Project cleaning 92 headstones of G.A.R Civil War / Spanish American War Veterans in Riverside CA. I was wondering how many gallons of D/2 I should purchase to complete the job for these low rise pre WWI VA issued stones (about 18 inches are above ground). Thank you. Daniel Roche, Age 17, Riverside CA

[@theyfaceeast]

Hello Daniel. Your project sounds wonderful! I personally sprayed and wetted 88 veteran headstones with 1 gallon of water. Those headstones had already been cleaned the previous year. I noticed the layer of biological growth acts sort of like a thin sponge, so I think 1 gallon of D/2 will treat approximately 44 veteran headstones. Therefore, I recommend you purchase 2 gallons of D/2 for your project. Please keep me updated on your progress and let me know if I can help you in any way. Sincerely, Trae Zipperer

[@theyfaceeast]

Be sure to Register as a Volunteer at @t and watch the video on the home page.

[@gf5075]

Incredible info, thank you for the help

[@theyfaceeast]

You're welcome! I'm happy the video was helpful to you.

[@ronnieroberts2757]

My dad was a marine vet in Vietnam and then win he got out he started driving 18 wheelers

[@theyfaceeast]

Is your dad still alive?

[@v.britton4445]

Thank you

[@iowa51106]

First, I love the video. Would you please invest in a gallon garden sprayer for the rinse water. Pumping it up is so much better for your wrist.My carpal tunnel was screaming every time you started squeezing the little sprayer.

[@theyfaceeast]

Haha. Sorry about your carpal tunnel. Old habits are hard to break when doing it all myself. I actually had a pump up sprayer with me full of water, but it was in the third plastic bin filled with nice to have extra items I didn't end up needed to grab.

[@charlesmaximus9161]

Forgive me for a slightly stupid question, but I live in New England where there are a lot of old Rev War, F&I War, and older Indian War veterans’ graves made of purple slate and the like. What is the protocol for these older veterans’ headstones?

[@theyfaceeast]

Those old stones you describe should not be touched by anyone who isn't trained in handling those antiquities. They can be easily damaged by someone who is just trying to do a good deed. I recommend you seek out a local expert who can advise you. A historical preservationist should know who can help in your area. I would probably begin my search by interviewing a local headstone company. They should know all the players in the local headstone world. Not a stupid question at all. It is a very smart question. Our most important objective is to do no harm. I focus on government-furnished veteran headstones which are iconic in shape, marble or granite, and 4 inches thick. For these veteran headstones, you can follow the protocol issued by the National Cemetery Administration.

[@DianaJG8]

Thanks Trey!

[@LSnium]

Im surprised that the cemeteries do not have any employees who get paid to clean the headstones.

[@theyfaceeast]

Not long ago in 1960, 96% of our dead were buried in cemeteries. Family members living nearby would make sure grandma's grave was tended to properly. The sole revenue source for cemeteries was the sale of burial plots. Money from burial plot sales was used to fund ongoing general maintenance including mowing. As America turned away from God, quit going to church, forgot about traditional Christian burial rites, and adopted cremation as the most convenient and least expensive way of disposing of our loved ones, the number of burial plot sales have steadily declined. The vast majority of the limited number of burial plot sales are captured by large for-profit cemetery operations owned by a few massive corporations. Without revenue income from burial plot sales, the vast majority of cemeteries across the United States have no money to pay for maintenance. The only thing that gets done, if at all, is mowing. The mowing is performed by one caring elderly person in the community who remembers their loved ones are buried in cemeteries. Most Americans are oblivious to what has happened to the burial places of their very own ancestors and extended family members. Cremation has wiped out funeral and burial services, so Americans no longer have occasions to be distracted from their "all about me" busy lifestyles to pay final respects to loved ones. Therefore, we do not enter cemeteries to see with our own eyes what has happened. We think someone else is taking care of our sacred ground. There is no "someone else." Our cemeteries and graves have fallen into disrepair. We are quickly losing our eldest generation members who have done their best to hold on. The time has come for Americans to decide how to provide perpetual care for the burial grounds of those who came before us.

[@kaycure8629]

A fender brush with tampico has a short handle and works great.

[@theyfaceeast]

I tested the fender brush, but I didn't prefer the longer Tampico bristles as compared to the shorter bristles. I only clean veteran headstones, which have flat surfaces. I can see where a fender brush would work better on an ornate stone with more curves and crannies.

[@anitaludovici2859]

My favorite brush is the first one. A little large for my small hand so I might buy smaller one that fits the hand better.

[@theyfaceeast]

I just used the smaller one, Magnolia Brush model 161 this week and it works great too.

[@anitaludovici2859]

@Honor Your DNA I bought the 161 and it's great. I love it. Thank you for teaching those that love to clean gravestones great advice. When that gunk rinses away it seems to cleanse my soul as well. Watch you every day. Even repeats. You're an angel on this earth.

[@coxlandscapinglawncare8124]

Hello Tray, I was wondering which of these 2 do think works better the D/2 Bio or the Wet and Forget. We maintain a couple of cemeteries at the older of the two the congregation wants to do a headstone cleaning and our company is supplying the product and equipment to straighten and fix any stone that has fallen over or broken after years of neglect due to no funding now there is funding we have it looking presentable now but for the stones.

[@theyfaceeast]

I have videos on how to use each of the cleaning products D/2 Biological Solution and WET & FORGET, because each product label has different instructions. Determining which product is best depends on how you intend to approach the specific cleaning needs in the target cemetery. The price of D/2 is higher than WET & FORGET, but they are not identical ingredients. If I intend to scrub the veteran headstones, I'm using D/2 because the product label offers a scrubbing option, I've used D/2 many times, and D/2 is recognized by the historical preservation world. If I intend to spray many veteran headstones in one day because I don't have sufficient time to scrub each one, then I'm going to use WET & FORGET simply because of the price difference. Please share my thanks with all of those involved with your cemetery makeover! Very nice.

[@ILikeBirds]

Great video! Very entertaining to watch.

[@kaycure8629]

How do you manage to not get all dirty when cleaning? I get so much flick back I would never wear a white shirt while scrubbing! Also because d2 is so expensive I bought some wet and forget but I am not too thrilled with it. It doesn't suds up and just does not clean anywhere near as well as D2. Any thoughts?

[@patrickbates4161]

Really good question. I'm a speckled mess after cleaning headstones

[@theyfaceeast]

I'm a bit of a detail nut, so my brain considers the splatter pattern before I position my body in relation to the bristle scrubbing path. I do get some on me, but not much. If you watch closely, you can see where I even strategically place my cleaning kit and rinse jugs out of the flick pattern. Watch my WET & FORGET video and you'll see that the product label does not provide an option for using the product prior to scrubbing. If I want to scrub a headstone, and I'm purchasing WET & FORGET, I moisten the stone with water for 10 minutes and then scrub using only water. AFTER scrubbing the stone with water only, I then apply WET & FORGET to the stone that has already been scrubbed. Come back in a few weeks and the stone will look BRAND NEW! D/2 product label offers a wet it and forget it application option. If I'm going to treat a large number of stones in a short period of time without scrubbing, it makes sense to me to use WET & FORGET at $6 per gallon as compared to D/2 for $50 per gallon. Either product will make a stone look fantastic four months after applying and walking away without ever scrubbing.

[@streetpunk99]

I know the level of the stones dirtyness matters but how many stones can 1 spray bottle of d2 clean, roughly

[@theyfaceeast]

Very common question. To start, let's agree on the size of a veteran headstone. These numbers will be based on the iconic upright white marble veteran headstone we see in our National Cemeteries. Using water only in a D/2 spray bottle, I wetted the entire exterior surface of 88 clean veteran headstones using only one-gallon of clean water. However, the biological growth on the exterior of a veteran headstones acts like a thin sponge, so it takes more liquid to wet the entire exterior surface of a veteran headstone. Therefore, I would estimate one gallon of D/2 Biological Solution will wet the surface of 44 to 48 veteran headstones in need of cleaning. A spray bottle is 32 ounces, or a quarter of a gallon, so to answer your question, I will say you can expect to clean at least 10 to 12 veteran headstones with one spray bottle of D/2.

[@streetpunk99]

@@theyfaceeast excellent response. Thank you for the information

[@patrickbates4161]

Wondering if a toothbrush size Tampico brush is out there? Will upgrade my kit soon.

[@theyfaceeast]

As this mission spreads to millions of Volunteers, a smart brush manufacturer will produce a line of brushes designed specifically for cleaning veteran headstones. Each brush in the line will have a patriotic military name. I envision three sizes. Two will be for medium and large sized hands. The third will be the tooth brush size you mentioned.

[@RVGMInc]

Thank you! @RVGM-LTJNPhillipsJr

[@sarahalexander5544]

Could you provide links for purchase of the brushes you recommended? Thank you for what you do!

[@theyfaceeast]

www.gravestonecleaner.com/shop/8-1-4-mason-acid-brush-with-threaded-handle-hole-white-tampico-179t/

[@anitaludovici2859]

Amazon sells them. I have them all but boar brush.

[@sierra4345]

Wow you sound like an american who says things about world war like a stereotyped american, but you sound like a genuinely nice person, im addicted to watching these!

[@theyfaceeast]

I'm glad you enjoy watching my videos. Both of my grandfathers, and even one of my great grandfathers, fought in World War II. My grandmother's brother, my great uncle, was killed in World War II. It was a high price to pay.

[@Bruiser89]

What type of brush do you need to use? I heard horse brush works well.

[@theyfaceeast]

Watch the video and read the description I included with the video.

[@georgewilson3299]

Do you still reccomend Wet & Forget as a headstone cleaner?

[@theyfaceeast]

I do still recommend WET & FORGET as a headstone cleaner. However, you'll notice in my training video for WET & FORGET that the manufacturer label has a different application process as compared to D/2. WET & FORGET is just like the name states. D/2 offers a scrubbing option on their label instructions, which is why I use D/2 in videos where I am scrubbing. I could use water only, but I have ten gallons of D/2, so I may as well use it. Furthermore, the vast majority of historic preservationists are rabid fans of D/2, so you can't go wrong using D/2 in a headstone cleaning video.

[@samellowery]

Do you think any of the nylon bristle drill attachable brushes would be safe?

[@kaycure8629]

No power tools of any kind to clean gravestones please.

[@theyfaceeast]

Kay Cure is correct. No power tools as per the protocol issued by the National Cemetery Administration. Of course, you could use the soft nylon bristle brush without the drill. However, my recommendation is that you just purchase a Magnolia Brush model 179-T or 161 and start scrubbing.

[@ShellyHayes]

so they are the same stones they have at arlington?

[@theyfaceeast]

Yes, identical to the stones at Arlington National Cemetery.

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

Iv noticed alot of war time markers don't have the birthdays so why is that? I know bleach is a nono but it works so much cheaper and better even diluted so could you use that and apply d2 or something else that would nutrilize the bleach when finished? I'm asking for the ones that will use bleach anyway to do the best they can.

[@theyfaceeast]

No Volunteer should ever use bleach to clean a headstone. That detail is a key point in the education process. There's no reason to use bleach when I already worked with the National Cemetery Administration to clearly state the following three cleaning agents at prices from $50 to $0 per gallon: D/2, WET & FORGET, or plain water. D/2 does a way better job as compared to bleach, so it makes no sense to risk damaging the stone with bleach, and then apply a $50 per gallon superior cleaning agent.

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

@@theyfaceeast my thing is folks out there are going to do the best they can with little they have and lots of head stones will get cleaned with bleach that's just fact. So what can be used with the bleach or done after the fact to help eliminate or reduce any harmful affects from the bleach.

[@theyfaceeast]

Watch my video Types of Veteran Headstones and Grave Markers to learn about birthdays etched on stones.

[@theyfaceeast]

@@jimmieburleigh9549 there's nothing anyone can do to reverse the damaging effects of bleach, which is why bleach is never to be used on headstones. The best we can do is educate prospective Volunteers to reduce the number of people who will ready, fire, aim. This is why I hammer home D/2 and WET & FORGET in all of my videos, to hopefully encourage people to use the right stuff and do no harm.

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

@@theyfaceeast I hear you I really do but folks are going to do it anyway with the idea that it's better than nothing. I'm trying to just figure a way to help these folks reduce even if it's just slightly the caustic affects the bleach may have even if it's just rinsing with more water or spritzing vinegar on it for a minute and rinsing that off. I say vinegar because it's used alout to nutrilize many caustic substances.. Or anything you may suggest..

[@mackgriffin7397]

Any chace you heard of a company called skillcraft

[@theyfaceeast]

Nope. Please expand on your thoughts about skillcraft.

[@mackgriffin7397]

@@theyfaceeast its office products and accessories that are name brand and bought by the government, i use them all the time in the army, if the cemeteries run by the federal government can keep the headstones clean then there might be a brush that they use in their catalog of items

[@theyfaceeast]

@@mackgriffin7397 I worked directly with the National Cemetery Administration to develop the first ever best practices protocol for cleaning veteran headstones. The NCA did not provide any brand names when describing brushes, only that the bristles needed to be soft and made of either natural fibers or nylon fibers. But you have a good point, because if we visit a National Cemetery, go to the maintenance shed, and look at their headstone cleaning brushes, we might find they are using at least that brush.

[@kaycure8629]

You should get a pump sprayer. Easier to rinse with one.

[@theyfaceeast]

I had a pump sprayer with me, but it's all I can do to get to the veteran headstone with all the gear and clean it while videotaping myself. I need to produce a bloopers video! Oh my it was hot. I was sweating so badly my lavalier mic died. You should have seen the contraption I was using to hold an umbrella over the camera. Without shade, the iPhone will overheat in the sun and shut down while filming.

[@sportaholic4482]

If the headstones are federal property, I’d be asking them why they’re letting them get in the condition they’re in. If they don’t want to take care of them, then the people who do want to take care of them should have free reign on how they clean them.

[@theyfaceeast]

I shined a spotlight on this issue of forgotten veteran headstones 22 months ago. I've addressed every obstacle standing between a willing Volunteer and a neglected veteran headstone in one or more videos. I intend to bring this to a head by Memorial Day 2022. We're going to source sufficient funding from multiple sources to maintain our veteran headstones in perpetuity.

[@davemoll8056]

@@theyfaceeast I have a question what diameter pvc pipe?

[@theyfaceeast]

@@davemoll8056 half inch schedule 40 cut into 15 inch segments.

[@haileywaite243]

there's a game that you can do this but that's just disrespectful just go to a cemetery and clean a grave it's simple.

[@footsoljier6468]

imagine cleaning headstones and capitalizing off of it, and call it honoring

[@Ryan_Mythic]

Or he could just be doing this just to help?.. because this is a genuine issue?..

[@theelizabethan1]

His primary aim is to mobilize the public to become involved.... These gravesites require perpetual care -- by volunteers. (If any monetary income is realized, keep in mind any non-profit incurs expense, so takes a bit of $$ to keep operational.)

[@RoxaneEllesansailes]

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