How to clean Bronze Plaques & Memorials

Preservation or restoration.

Before we go any further it is worth making a distinction between preservation & restoration.  The two words may have similar connotations to many people but in practice they are entirely different.  For our purposes preservation means to preserve the Bronze in it’s present condition, keeping it clean and protecting it from the worst of the effects of the elements.  Restoration is the process of trying to return the Bronze to it’s original condition, usually by more abrasive methods, before again coating it to protect it from further damage.

Corrosion is the term which describes metal in various stages of deterioration as it reacts with it’s environment, oxygen, moisture and other pollutants for example.  With ferrous metals such as steel or cast iron this results in rust whilst with non ferrous metals such as Bronze this process results in tainting the metal green and is called the patina.  This patina can actually serve to protect the surface of the Bronze and prevent further oxidisation but if there are any flaws in the metal then further serious corrosion can take place.  Preservation can prevent this from happening whilst restoration helps to correct it.

Aesthetics

There is also the question of aesthetics.  Some quite like the green tint of aged bronze, personally, I do not.  Look at this picture of a memorial in Birmingham.

In my opinion weathered bronze such as this implies neglect and neglect implies that no one cares! 

This is true not just of Bronze but also to a large extent of headstones and memorials in general.  Remember that these plaques, headstones and memorials were commissioned, placed or erected as lasting tributes to those commemorated by them. 

Preservation

It is by far easier and much less expensive to preserve the plaque or memorial than to restore it and to this end regular maintenance should be carried out.  Our process of preservation follows eight simple steps and these are :-

1.                   Before photographs.  Taking pictures of the Bronze before any work starts is always desirable.

2.                   Washing the Bronze.  This removes harmful build-ups of corrosive substances from the surface of the metal.

3.                   Rinse.  This removes all traces of the washing procedure.

4.                   Dry.  To remove all traces of moisture from the metal which could harm the surface if trapped under the preservative.

5.                   Preservative.  Applying a coat of paste wax to the surface of the metal.

6.                   Polish.  Polishes the wax to make it clear, hard & smooth.

7.                   Clean.  Clean up any mess or overspill to stonework or surrounding areas.

8.                   After photographs.  To record how the Bronze looks now and to compare it with the before pictures.

Depending on where the Bronze is situated and hence how harsh the prevailing weather conditions are, the Bronze should be cleaned at least twice a year and more often in harsh conditions.

Tools & Supplies You Will Need

For the purpose of this article we shall presume we are all cleaning a smallish Bronze plaque, if you are cleaning a larger one or maybe even a statue or larger memorial then you will need to adjust the quantities.  For example you will need much more water and much more distilled water.  This then is a list of the basic tools & cleaning supplies you will need.

·                     A hard bristled washing up brush.

·                     One large pump up hand sprayer and lance.  This should be filled with fresh, clean water.

·                     One trigger spray bottle filled with distilled water.

·                     One trigger spray bottle filled with a non-ionic cleaning solution.  This is made up from a product called phot-flo which you can get from Jessops and it should be mixed by adding a teaspoonful to some distilled water in the bottle.

·                     Any type of clear, paste wax but if it contains a UV inhibitor all the better.

·                     A stiff application brush such as a clean, small, unused for any other purpose, shoe brush.

·                     Several cloth towels for drying.

·                     A soft, lint free cloth for buffing.

·                     A can of compressed air such as the type used to clean computer keyboards.

·                     Another clean shoe brush for polishing.

·                     Duct or masking tape for masking off the surrounding area.

Lets Clean

Step 1 – Recording the existing condition. 

Take pictures of the plaque or memorial in it’s present condition.  These, when compared to the after pictures will be an invaluable aid to evaluating the efficiency of the cleaning process.

Step 2 – Washing the bronze.

Before starting to wash, use the duct or masking tape to mask out the stone on which the bronze is mounted or sits.  Using a soft brush, clean away any dirt from the bronze and then spray on the detergent.  Use the washing up brush to scrub briskly and remove any further dirt and foreign material.

Step 3 - Rinse

Using the sprayer filled with water, flood the bronze to flush away any residue of the cleaning solution.  If after rinsing you find that the bronze needs more cleaning repeat step 2 and rinse again with clean water.  When you are happy that the bronze is clean rinse it a final time with the distilled water in order to make the surface as chemically inert as possible.

Step 4 - Drying

Using the compressed air start from the top and work downwards blowing the water off the surface.  Pat dry using the towels and then let the bronze dry completely.  Don’t be tempted to touch the metal now with your hands as this will leave oils on the surface which is exactly what you don’t want.  When completely dry, proceed to step 5.

Step 5 – Applying the wax preservative.

When the Bronze is dry you can start applying the wax.  Pick up small dabs of wax using the applicator brush or clean shoe brush and apply a thin coat over about four to six square inches at a time and then lightly brush that area with the other shoe brush.  Don’t let the wax dry before brushing otherwise it may leave streaks.  If this does happen, apply more wax and brush the area again to smooth it out.  Keep working until you have coated and brushed the entire surface.  Wait a few minutes and then go over the whole surface again with the brush but rubbing harder this time.

Step 6 - Polishing

Polish the area briskly with the lint free cloth.  This may take some time and effort but when you start to see the shine it all becomes worth it!  When completed the surface should have a deep shine but the wax will continue to harden for another 24 hours.  If at all possible, buffing again after the 24 hours would give an even better shine.

Step 7 – Clean up.

Most bronze plaques or memorials will be situated on stone, brick or concrete where exposure to water in the form of rain is already expected and because of that and also because we are using mild detergents that are biodegradable there should not be any real problem from staining.  Especially if you have used the duct tape or masking tape to cover over the immediate surrounding area.  It is still a good idea though to rinse away the detergent from the surrounding area using the remainder of the water in the hand sprayer.

If you have masked the surrounding area properly then there shouldn’t be any wax on the stone but if there is then remember that as the wax dries it becomes glossy and this may make the stone glossy.  This can be removed using a lacquer thinner available from hardware stores.

Step 8 – Record the finished article

Take further pictures of the plaque or memorial for your records and also to compare with the ‘before’ pictures.  Was it worth it?  Of course it was!

Would you like to comment on this article?  Please email us, we would appreciate your feedback, thank you.

Home                                          Contact us                                    About us