Are you doing the right thing? ] How to maintain the grave

If you want to keep the beauty of the tomb when it was built, you need to maintain it properly.

Tombstones are durable and will not deteriorate quickly or lose their brilliance, but over the years they will gradually deteriorate due to rain, wind and UV light.

Regular cleaning and maintenance is required to delay its deterioration as much as possible.

Here, we will introduce the correct grave cleaning method and full-scale maintenance method.

Tools needed to clean the grave

First of all, I will introduce the tools necessary for cleaning the grave.

Tomb cleaning tools include not only the tools needed to clean the grave itself, but also the tools needed to clean the area around the grave.

It is convenient to have a set of cleaning tools so that you can clean the grave immediately every season.

Grave cleaning tools
bucket
ladle
toothbrush
sponge
Detergent for tombstones (x for dish detergent and abrasives)
Elephant
Turtle scrubbing brush (metal is x)
Cleaning tools around the grave
Broom
Dustpan
Gunte
Sickle
scoop
Scissors for planting
Colander for gravel cleaning

Depending on the type of grave, there are some unnecessary tools, but there is no doubt that you have all this.

Since the grave is engraved with letters, the toothbrush is very useful when polishing small parts.

Having a bucket and a cassotte is convenient even if the water is far away.

The scrubbing brush is NG because it enters metal that can damage the tombstone.

Detergent is also NG because dish detergent can cause stains and abrasives can cause scratches.

Detergents for tombstones are sold at home improvement stores, so we recommend using a special detergent.

If there are plants or weeds with solid stems in the vicinity, you can easily handle them by bringing scissors for planting.

It is more efficient to mow a lot of weeds at once with a sickle than to pull them out one by one by hand.

To prevent injuries, you can safely clean the grave by preparing work gloves.

Easy! early! What is an efficient grave cleaning method?

The smoothest way to clean the grave is to clean the area around the grave and then the tombstones.

Here are some steps to make it easier and faster to clean your grave.

1. Treat weeds and plants around the grave

If there are weeds or plants around the grave, work gloves and then use a sickle or scissors for planting to dispose of them.

Put the treated weeds and plants in a trash bag or put them in one place.

If there is gravel, put it in a colander and wash it thoroughly with water. If there is any debris, clean it with a broom and dustpan.

2. Wash the entire tombstone with water

After drawing water into the bucket, use a cassotte to remove the water and pour water over the tombstone to moisten it.

After sprinkling enough water, brush the entire tombstone with a soft brush.

If it's not very dirty, just polish it with a soft sponge or cloth.

3. Carefully polish the engraved part

The part where the letters are engraved tends to collect dirt due to moss growing.

It's finely chopped, so brush it with a toothbrush.

Some graves have gold leaf on the engraving, but in that case, the gold leaf may come off, so it is better not to polish it too much.

Basically, you can remove stains only with water and a brush, but if you still can't remove stubborn stains, use a tombstone cleaner to clean them.

4. Wash the flower tube and incense plate

After cleaning the area around the grave and the grave, we will polish the accessories.

Take out the stainless steel flower tube and incense stick and wash them in a bucket or in a water place.

If the incense stick is wet, the incense stick may be extinguished, so use a cloth to keep it dry after washing.

5. Sprinkle water on the grave and its surroundings to wash it.

The final finish is watering.

Pour water into a bucket and use a cassotte to sprinkle water around the tomb or grave.

6. Wipe the tombstone with a dry towel

Keeping the tombstones wet can cause moss and mold to grow, so keep them dry with a dry rag or cloth.

In particular, water tends to remain on the engraved parts, so be sure to keep a close eye on it.

By regularly cleaning and maintaining the tomb in this way, you can keep the tomb as clean as it was when it was built.

Above all, cleaning the grave is a memorial service for our ancestors, so we should do it with all our heart.

When is the time to clean the grave?

There is no particular rule when to clean the grave, but it is a good idea to consider the best timing for each house, such as cleaning it before your relatives come to the grave.

In general, it's the following season to visit the grave.

Obon: August 13th to 16th
Ganranbon ・ ・ ・ July 13th to 16th
Spring equinox ... Around one week on the spring equinox day
Autumn equinox ... Around one week on the autumnal equinox day

There is a grave-visiting season about four times a year, so if you clean the grave before that, both the visitors and your ancestors will feel good.

Of course, cleaning frequently will keep your grave more beautiful and important, so it's best to clean it when you can, regardless of the season of your grave.

Full-scale maintenance of the contractor is also recommended!

Even with proper grave cleaning, it is difficult to maintain the beauty of a new product as it was built over the years.

In order to keep the grave beautiful all the time, it is also recommended to ask a contractor for full-scale maintenance.

Special coatings and cleaning methods will make your grave more beautiful and your ancestors will be happy.

The full-scale maintenance method of the contractor is as follows.

Clear coat

In most cases, tombstones are damaged by the growth of mold and moss due to humidity. The coating that prevents it is a clear coat.

The water-repellent effect removes dirt while repelling water.

Photocatalyst coat

A photocatalyst coat is a coating that has the effect of removing dirt and keeping it clean by the self-cleaning effect every time it rains as it is exposed to light.

When it rains, the rainwater spreads throughout the grave and penetrates into the small dirt areas to remove the dirt.

In addition, when exposed to ultraviolet rays, stains such as mold on the tombstone are decomposed into carbon dioxide and water and fall off naturally.

Professional cleaning

If you ask a contractor to clean the tomb, it will be cleaned with detergents and tools that match the quality of the stones and dirt, so it will bring you back to a beautiful tomb that looks like it was built without damaging it.

If there are stains that cannot be removed by regular grave cleaning, you may consider cleaning by a contractor.

Summary

Keeping the grave beautiful leads to a memorial service for ancestors.

It is important to maintain the grave so that you can live a peaceful life every day while thanking your ancestors.

In front of the beautiful grave, it is a good idea to review the daily maintenance method of the grave so that you can visit the grave.