Bronze plaques are often used as part of a grave marker, either placed on stone or placed by themselves. They mark where your loved one is buried and let people find their graves easier. If you have chosen a bronze plaque to use as a grave marker, then you might want to know how to maintain it so that it stays looking nice and new no matter how long it has been marking your loved one's grave. Bronze doesn't rust, but it does oxidize and will darken and get a greenish hue if not periodically cleaned. So, how can you clean the plaque so that it will look good?

Edge the Plaque

Edging the plaque means that you are going to go along all the edges of the plaque and clean them up. You want to pull the grass away from the edge so that the sides are clearly visible. It shouldn't take a whole lot of time to do it, and all you really need is a small hand shovel to do it. Just put the tip of the shovel into the ground right along the edges (it doesn't have to go in very far). Then, lift up and do it again until you have gone all the way around the marker. 

Brush off Debris

You need to do is clean off any debris that is on the plaque, like grass clippings, leaves, and dirt. It shouldn't be too hard to do that. You can just use a soft cloth and brush off the debris. The reason you want to get rid of the debris is that you will get a better view of how dirty the marker is, and you won't have to worry about any debris damaging the plaque while you are doing more cleaning. 

Wash It

Take a spray bottle and fill it with water that has a little bit of gentle dish soap added to it. You really don't need much soap. Then spray it on the bronze plaque. Make sure that you cover the whole plaque. Then take a clean soft cloth and firmly, but gently, wipe the marker to get rid of any oxidization or dirt. If you have a hard time getting it clean, you can use a brush with soft plastic bristles. Metal bristles can damage the bronze marker. 

If you have chosen a custom bronze plaque for your loved one's grave marker, knowing how to keep it looking nice and new can give you a way to show how you felt about your loved one.