What Does Arlington Cemetery Use To Clean Headstones?

What Does Arlington Cemetery Use to Clean Headstones?

Quick summary: Arlington National Cemetery, along with every other national cemetery in the country, uses D/2 Biological Solution as its standard grave marker cleaner — a non-bleach, pH-neutral biocide that removes lichen, algae, and air-pollution staining without damaging marble, granite, or sandstone. This Pressure Wash Tips guide covers exactly how the official method works, why pressure washing headstones is explicitly prohibited, and how to replicate the same approach at home.

The Direct Answer: D/2 Biological Solution

According to The Good Cemeterian, a nonprofit dedicated to veteran headstone restoration, the answer is specific and consistent: “D/2 is what the Government uses for all of our National cemeteries including Arlington,” describing it as safe for the monuments themselves and for the surrounding environment (The Good Cemeterian).

By Memorial Day, another veteran-focused nonprofit that cleans headstones outside national cemeteries, confirms the same standard, stating its cleaners work “in strict accordance with NCA protocol, using approved tools and cleaning agents like D/2 Biological Solution” (By Memorial Day).

D/2 is used specifically because it targets biological growth — lichen, moss, algae, and general air-pollution soiling — without the acids, bleach, or aggressive chemicals that would otherwise degrade sensitive stone over repeated cleanings.

Why Pressure Washing Headstones Is Explicitly Banned

This matters enough to state directly, since it’s official federal policy, not just a cautious recommendation: the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), the VA division responsible for Arlington and every other national cemetery, states plainly that it “prohibits the general public from power washing Government-furnished headstones and markers due to the damage it may cause to historical headstones” (National Cemetery Administration).

The NCA’s own guidance frames the entire goal of headstone cleaning differently than most people expect: the purpose is to remove air pollution soiling, lichen, bird droppings, dirt, and salts — not to make a headstone look “like new.” Improper or unnecessary cleaning can actually accelerate the deterioration of marble and granite, and the NCA specifically notes that pre-1970s bronze markers develop a natural blue-green patina that isn’t meant to be cleaned away at all (National Cemetery Administration).

The Approved Method, Step by Step

The Good Cemeterian’s own published process, matching NCA protocol, breaks down cleanly (The Good Cemeterian):

Rinse the stone with plain water first, never a power washer.
Spray D/2 Biological Solution onto the still-damp stone surface.
Let it sit for several minutes while the solution breaks down biological debris.
Scrub gently with a natural or soft nylon brush — described as having a consistency similar to a toothbrush. Never use a hard-bristle brush.
Rinse periodically with water, reapplying D/2 and continuing to scrub gently to check progress.
Hand-dry with a clean, dry cotton or microfiber towel.

For genuinely tough, deep-set staining, the National Park Service’s official best-practice document — developed specifically for NCA maintenance staff and funded by the VA — notes this may require multiple applications over separate visits rather than one aggressive session (National Park Service).

What NOT to Use

The NCA publishes a specific list of prohibited chemicals worth knowing before you clean any headstone yourself: bleach or any product containing sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate, sodium persulfate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, or urea peroxide; strong acids including hydrochloric or muriatic acid; and strong bases including concentrated ammonia, calcium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide (National Cemetery Administration).

For most stains, the NCA notes that water alone is sufficient, and for tougher buildup, mild detergents like Vulpex, Orvus, or Ivory Liquid are acceptable alternatives to D/2.

Does This Work for Cleaning Headstone Granite Specifically?

Yes — The Good Cemeterian confirms D/2 is used across granite, marble, and sandstone monuments alike, making it a genuinely universal grave marker cleaner rather than a marble-specific product (The Good Cemeterian).

Granite is more physically durable than marble, but the same gentle chemistry-over-force principle still applies, since the goal remains stain removal without accelerating long-term wear on the sealant or surface finish.

The Real Story Behind the Public Protocol

This official protocol didn’t always exist for cemeteries outside Arlington. Navy veteran Trae Zipperer began cleaning his own family’s veteran headstones while researching his ancestry across 16 cemeteries in five states, and noticed most stones outside national cemeteries had been neglected, with heavy green and black biological staining built up over years (Wet & Forget).

Zipperer worked directly with Congressman Brian Mast — himself a veteran — to push the VA toward establishing a clear, public protocol for cleaning veteran gravestones outside Arlington’s walls, since government-furnished headstones remain federal property regardless of which cemetery they sit in.

That advocacy is a real part of why a consistent, published cleaning standard now exists for families and volunteers nationwide, not just for NCA staff at Arlington itself.

DIY or Hire a Headstone Cleaning Service?

For a single family headstone, the DIY method above is genuinely manageable with a bottle of D/2 and a soft brush.

For a larger restoration project, badly deteriorated stones, or dozens of markers at once, a professional headstone cleaning service — several of which, like By Memorial Day, follow the exact NCA protocol described in this article — is worth considering, particularly for any stone showing hollow sounds when tapped or visible flaking, where a conservator’s judgment matters more than following steps alone.

A Note on Patience

One detail worth setting expectations around before you start: results from D/2 build gradually rather than appearing instantly. Genuine before-and-after accounts from people who’ve cleaned real family headstones consistently describe continued improvement over the days and weeks following application, not just immediately after rinsing.

If a stone still shows some staining right after your first cleaning session, that’s normal — resist the temptation to reach for something stronger, since the same gentle chemistry that protects the stone is also what takes a bit longer to finish the job compared to a harsher, faster-acting cleaner.

Recommended Products

D/2 Biological Solution (1 Gallon) — the exact grave marker cleaner named across every official and nonprofit source in this article. Check price on Amazon →

Soft Natural-Bristle Cleaning Brush — matching the NCA and Good Cemeterian’s toothbrush-consistency requirement. Search current listings on Amazon →

Note: As an editorial team, we haven’t independently tested every listed product. Confirm current pricing before purchasing.