How to clean stainless steel on a gravestone – letters, cross and accessories without scratches or streaks

Short answer: Stainless steel on a gravestone is washed with lukewarm water and a neutral-pH dishwashing liquid, using a soft microfibre cloth, then rinsed and wiped dry. Do not use wire scourers, abrasive pastes or products containing chlorine or hydrochloric acid. The task takes about 15 minutes and it is enough to repeat it twice a year – in spring and before 1 November.

What not to use on stainless steel

• Steel wool, scouring pads, rough sponges – they leave permanent scratches in polished steel, and particles of ordinary steel stay in the scratches and rust in spots.
• Products containing chlorine (bleach, some descalers) – they can cause pitting corrosion even in good stainless steel.
• Hydrochloric acid and "heavy-duty stone chemicals" – made for stone, they leave dull etch marks on metal.
• Abrasive pastes and creams – on satin they create shiny patches, on polished steel a web of fine scratches, and they can damage a black or gold coating.
• One sponge for both stone and metal – you carry grains of quartz from the granite onto the steel, where they act like sandpaper.

Step-by-step procedure (about 15 minutes)

1. Rinse the parts with clean water to remove loose dust and sand – these are what scratch most often.
2. Wash with a solution of lukewarm water and dish soap, using a soft microfiber cloth. On satin steel, move the cloth along the direction of the brushing.
3. Remove candle wax: wait until it hardens (in summer, hold an ice cube against it), pry it off with a plastic card, and dissolve any residue with a cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol.
4. Clean off rust spots (so-called surface rust from foreign metal filings) – with a method suited to the finish. On polished steel you can use stainless steel paste or a citric acid solution: leave it for a few minutes, wipe off and rinse. On satin steel do not use paste (it leaves shiny marks) – a citric acid solution and a cloth moved along the brushing direction are enough. Black and gold parts have a factory coating: wash them only with water, a mild soap and a soft cloth, with no pastes, abrasives or solvents. If discolorations appear on the coating, contact us, before you try to remove them.
5. Rinse and dry with a dry microfiber cloth – this prevents white streaks from hard water.
6. Optional on polished steel: once every few years, a little stainless steel paste restores the mirror shine.

Care by finish

Steel and stone separately

The best order is stone first, then metal. Wash granite, marble or terrazzo with products made for stone (see granite care and sealing and cleaning terrazzo), rinse everything, and finally go over the steel parts with a fresh cloth. This way the stone cleaner does not dry on the metal.

Lamps, vases and frames

• Lamp – take out the insert, and remove wax and soot from the inside with isopropyl alcohol; wash the glass separately.
• Vase – empty it and rinse the inside, remove deposits from flowers with a citric acid solution; do not leave water inside in winter.
• Photo frame – wash gently, and do not direct a stream of water under the glass or at the edge of the photo.

When cleaning will not help

If a part has deep scratches from years of scrubbing, pitting from chlorine, or rust that returns in the same places despite cleaning, it is most likely made of poor-quality steel. Further cleaning will not help; it is better to replace individual letters or the cross. We explain where such problems come from in the article stainless steel in the cemetery – facts and myths. Replacing parts when refreshing a gravestone is described in the guide gravestone restoration.

Care kit for your car trunk

• two microfiber cloths in different colors – one for stone, the other for steel;
• a bottle of diluted dish soap and a bottle of clean water;
• isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle – for wax and soot;
• a plastic card for prying off wax;
• a sachet of citric acid – for streaks and surface rust;
• nitrile gloves – fewer fingerprints on polished steel.

You will find a list of tasks for the entire grave before the holiday in our guide All Saints' Day – cleaning and decorations.

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove hard-water stains from steel letters?

With a citric acid solution (one teaspoon per glass of warm water): apply it with a cloth, leave it for a few minutes, rinse and dry thoroughly. Dry the pieces after every wash and the problem will not return.

Is a pressure washer safe for steel elements?

For the steel itself, yes, but a strong jet can damage the adhesive joints and force water under the letters. Hold the lance at an angle and at least half a meter away from the letters, cross and frame.

How often should stainless steel be cleaned at the cemetery?

Two dates are enough: in spring (deposits left after the heating season) and in autumn, before 1 November. Good stainless steel needs no maintenance – cleaning serves only an aesthetic purpose.