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Cleaning old tombstones with Muriatic Acid

Someone told me to use muriatic acid on old tombstones. I'm heading out to clean the tombstones and I don't want to ruin them. There are lichens and such on them and they certainly need a good cleaning, but is water alone going to do it?

Linda Reed
- Memphis, Tennessee, USA
2003

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Linda,

If you have some HCl (ie. muriatic acid [affil links] ) lying around, may I suggest you pop into your friendly lumber yard store and ask to see ... and then read ... the instructions on the cans for cleaning brick first of all!

Whether your tombstone is young or not is immaterial. HCl will kill off the lice and lichens. But if your Rock of Ages is made of limestone, go carefully as it will be quickly attacked by muriatic. Most tombstones are made, I thought, of the tougher granite.

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).
2003

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I have a couple of cases of 'bright' high gloss 6" x 6" white ceramic tile.These were leftover from my husband's office when he renovated about four years ago.
I would like them to be a matte finish and since I'm on a tight budget I didn't want to buy more; would muriatic acid degloss them without ruining their nonporous character?

Patricia J. Orisich
- Stone Mountain, Georgia, U.S.A.
2003

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October 16, 2008

Hi, Patricia. I don't think muriatic acid will achieve this deglossing that you are seeking, because muriatic acid is often used to remove grout from tile without harming the tile.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey