Whether you have just purchased a beautiful statue for your garden, have an antique religious statue that’s been passed down for generations, or want to create a serene garden accompanied by different sculptures, there will come a time where you will need to clean them, and in many cases, consider weatherproofing these pieces so they last for years to come. No matter what your climate, outdoor statues take on a lot of wear and tear. Here is a guide for best cleaning and weatherproofing practices for your outdoor statues.
How and When to Clean Outdoor Concrete Statues
Wait Until It’s Warm
Never clean outdoor statues during cold temperatures. When you put water on concrete and other materials in cold temperatures, the statue can absorb it and the water will freeze which can permanently damage the structure. The spring, summer, and early fall, are the optimal times to do some statue cleaning and maintenance. This will ensure they go into the colder months without extra mold, mildew, and moss on them, plus some protection from the elements.
Use Soap and Water
When you’re ready to clean your outdoor statues, the simplest way is to use environmentally-friendly soap and warm water. First, you will want to rinse the statue with a hose to get as much debris off as possible. Depending on the size of your statue will determine the strength of the water flow. The bigger the statue, the more water pressure it can take. Keep in mind that these are still somewhat delicate structures, even if they’re made of concrete. After rinsing, you can use soap, water, and a soft scrub brush to make some progress on the piece. Of course, since soap and water aren’t too abrasive, this method works on other materials, such as bronze, wood, and marble. Make your statues or sculptures shine with an unscented soap without bleach. Typically, with materials other than concrete, you will usually want to use a linen cloth to scrub, not a soft scrub brush. No matter the material, statues should be handled with care and never scrubbed too harshly. If you’d rather not do the project by yourself, hire a professional who specializes in janitorial and maintenance services for religious facilities. This way, you can ensure that each statue is delicately cleaned and maintained with the best equipment and specialists. These experts will restore your outdoor religious statues to the best condition possible to greet your guests as they enter into your home, religious sanctuary or facility.
Weatherproofing
When you want to take it a step further and do more than just clean your religious statues, consider weatherproofing them. This will ensure there is little to no damage through the bitter cold winters and stormy summers and that they will last a long time. No matter what climate you live in, this is recommended, but if you live somewhere there are severe temperatures, weatherproofing is a necessity for outdoor statue longevity. After cleaning, you will want to wait until the structure is completely dry before doing any kind of weatherproofing. Once dry, coat your structure with a wax so it can stand up against rain and snow. Any kind of wax will protect the piece, and all you have to do is rub it all over the statue like you would a snowboard or pair of snow skis. Rust is another big issue when it comes to rain and snow. The last thing you want is a religious figure rusting in your church’s garden while greeting parishioners. Luckily, avoiding rust is easy and possible. This step comes before washing a statue, and all you need to do is lightly scrub the structure with vinegar and a soft brush or cloth.
Sacred Statues
Some statues are just too sacred that you may not want to handle them yourself. Some may also simply be too large or too dangerous to climb to give them the care they deserve. The experts at The Budd Group know that there needs to be special care when it comes to religious statues and icons. At The Budd Group, we have plenty of experience cleaning such beautiful pieces, while respecting the religious significance and using the right materials to preserve it. For advice and assistance on how to clean your outdoor religious statues, and to learn more about everything else we can do for your facility, give us a call today at 800-221-8158!