Tips For Cleaning Bronze Garden Monuments

A professionally landscaped garden can really add kerb appeal to your home, as well as providing interest and enjoyment for you and for your guests.  No landscaped outside space is complete without the inclusion of a centrepiece in the form of a monument or sculpture, and a subject rendered in bronze can look stunning, especially when augmented with sympathetic, complementary planting.

However, the effects of weathering and environmental factors can leave your beautiful bronze looking dingy, dirty and less than impressive.  Although it is possible to clean your bronze with harsh chemical cleaning products, this can adversely affect the plants and flowers that surround the piece.  Luckily, there are plenty of very effective alternatives that you'll find in your kitchen.  Read on to find out how to spruce up your bronze.

What you'll need

• clean water
• dishwasher rinse liquid
• soap flakes
• garden hosepipe
• soft cloths
• soft, plastic scrubbing brush
• clear car wax (available from auto supplies stores)

How to do it

1. First of all, blend some soap flakes with water and dishwasher rinse liquid to form a smooth paste.  
2. Take a clean, soft cloth and dampen it with a little water.  Dip the cloth in the cleaning paste and apply it to your bronze monument.  
3. Now take a soft, plastic scrubbing brush and work your way all over the monument, paying particular attention to crevices, nooks and crannies.  Leave the cleaning paste on the bronze for a few minutes to give it chance to get to work on stubborn grime and dried-on bird droppings.  
4. Next, take your garden hose and give the statue a thorough rinse to get rid of any soap residue and muck.  It's not advisable to use a pressure washer on your monument, as the water jet will be too powerful and you could end up damaging your bronze.  
5. Dry the bronze thoroughly with a soft cloth.  It's important not to allow it to air-dry, as you could be left with water spotting that will spoil the final look.  
6. Now take a soft cloth and apply a thin coating of clear car wax to the bronze.  Allow the wax to dry completely; this usually takes about 20 minutes, depending on the product.  
7. Use a clean, soft cloth to buff-up the wax to a shine.  Your bronze monument should now look as good as new!

In conclusion

Regular cleaning, as per the directions outlined above, can help to return your bronze monument to its as-new condition so that it can continue to provide an interesting focal point in your garden landscape scheme.