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From: Clarence Suelter <>
Subject: [OHAUGLAI] Cleaning grave sites
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 19:11:42 -0400

I would like to add my two bits to the question about using sodium
chemicals to clean stones. From my perspective, baking soda (sodium
bicarbonate) is perfectly OK to clean stones. Using baking powder is
not as good because it contains starch and other chemicals. I would not
leave the soda on the stones but brush it off with a soft brush or wash
it out with water. The site referenced by Mr Wheeler suggest you start
with plain water if you want to clean it which is probably a good idea.
The site also recommends a weak solution of ammonia which will
accomplish about the same thing as a solution of baking soda. Both are
weak alkaline solutions and as such work well to remove proteins which
come from bacterial or algal growth.

Baking soda will have no effect on the environment unless one uses
buckets of it. It is readily soluble in water and will easily breakdown
into carbon dioxide and plain salt with a little acid from rain.

Clarence Suelter

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