Cremation Urn Care Guide
Cremation is a dignified way to bid adieu to your loved ones. It also allows you to store their ashes in memorial urns that you can keep in your home. It’s a touching way to have your deceased loved one near you or to have a constant reminder of them.
However, if you have kept the ashes of your loved one in an urn, you must learn how to take proper care of the vessel. After all, you want to ensure the longevity of the urn you so carefully chose to keep your deceased loved one’s ashes in. Cremation urn care is not as easy as it seems. Some urn materials are more corrosive or fragile than others, and you need to handle them properly.
With that said, let’s take a look at the best ways to take care of memorial urns.
How to Take Care of Different Memorial Urns
Modern cremation urns are typically made of five materials – ceramic, metal, wood, stone, and glass. Here’s how you can take excellent care of each of these types of urns so that they can remain in optimal condition for a long time:
Ceramic Cremation Urns
Ceramic urns are fragile, delicate vessels that you can use to store your loved one’s ashes. You need to keep a ceramic memorial urn away from foot traffic. Ideally, you should place it on a sturdy shelf high enough to prevent small children and pets from accidentally dropping it. Moreover, to clean your ceramic urn properly, you need to use a soft, dry cloth to wipe away any dust or dirt from its surface. Don’t use water as it will damage the ceramic surface in the long run.
Metal Cremation Urns
Metal is inarguably one of the more popular memorial urn choices due to its versatility and wide range of styles, colors, engravings, etc. However, you need to take care of a metal urn to prevent it from developing rust.
Wipe it down with a gentle, dry cotton cloth to remove dust. Clean it about once or twice a week only. Moreover, keep the metal urn in a safe and dry site away from scorching sunlight since sun exposure can warp metal over time. Moreover, humidity can also cause your urn to rust. So, if you want your urn to remain shiny and spotless, don’t use water to clean it. This is because water can easily remain hidden in the crevices or the engravings on your urn and lead to rust.
For long-term metal cremation urn care and maintenance, use a standard polish or car cleaner to wipe it down. Use this cleaning technique only a few times every year. It will add protective layering to your urn and help it maintain its shine. Don’t use too much product as it might get stuck in the engravings.
*Don’t use harsh, abrasive chemicals to clean the metal urn as it will result in corrosion. Abrasive substances will reduce the shine of the urn and cause scratches.
Glass or Marble Memorial Urns
Glass urns can be quite exquisite to look at. However, they are exceptionally fragile and can also weigh a lot. If you want to keep your glass memorial urn clean, use a soft cloth and water to clean its exterior gently. Make sure to dry the urn after cleaning it with water.
Additionally, you can ensure proper glass cremation urn care by cleaning the urn with a high-quality glass cleaner every three or four months. Make sure it’s a chemical-free cleaner to prevent any damage. This is because acid-based cleaners will break down the material.
Since glass urns are fragile, you must keep them out of reach of small children and pets. Moreover, keep your glass urn away from the edge of the surface you place it on to prevent it from falling and cracking or shattering.
Wooden Memorial Urns
Wooden urns are another popular type of memorial urn. They have a rustic and earthy feel to them. However, they require proper maintenance and regular cleaning as well. Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe down the outside of the wooden urn every two weeks or so. It will help you clean the dust buildup from the urn without damaging the surface.
Moreover, store your wooden urn away from direct sunlight as overexposure to the sun can cause the wood tone to fade. To maintain the shine of wooden memorial urns, polish them every few months or twice a year. Make sure to use the right kind of UV-resistant polish for the type of wooden urn you have and rub it gently onto the urn.
Avoiding cleaning your wooden urn with harsh chemicals as they can damage the wood. Since wood can be quite porous, you should not use water to clean the urn as it can easily sink into the grains and cause irreparable damage to your pristine wooden urn.
Stone Urns
Stone memorial urns are certainly less popular than wooden or metal urns because they are more fragile and weighty. However, if you’re looking for an elegant and striking urn for your deceased loved one’s ashes, you can’t do better than a stone urn.
The best way to ensure proper stone cremation urn care is to regularly clean it with a dry cloth to prevent dust particles from resting on it. For deep cleaning and maintenance, use a standard glass cleaner to add some shine to the urn surface every few months. Don’t use acid-based chemicals to clean the urn.
Moreover, don’t store your urn in high places, near edges, or in areas with high foot traffic since it’s exceptionally fragile. Keep the urn in an indoor location, away from excessive humidity and scorching heat.
Memorial urns are vessels that store your loved ones’ remnants. You need to take exceptional care of cremation urns to ensure they last a long time. Follow the cremation urn care tips mentioned above to ensure your loved ones’ final resting place is well taken care of.
If you are considering cremation for yourself or a loved one, our team at Maine Cremation Care is here to help you every step of the way. Visit our catalog to see the wide selection we offer.
