Will Endurance Stand The Test of Time?

In my first blog post, I extolled the virtues of D/2 Biological Cleaner. However, the landscape shifted when ties were severed with their primary US distributor, Atlas Preservation.

It came to light that for years, Atlas had been dealing with a difficult business relationsip, diligently patching damaged packages, absorbing the losses from inadequately packed shipments, and addressing customer concerns regarding D/2. Instead of walking away, Atlas decided to act. They began developing their own cleaner with one goal in mind: to serve the gravestone conservation community even better than before. That’s how Endurance Gravestone Monument Cleaner was born.

When Jonathan Appell announced the split, Atlas listed Endurance on their website, even before this new product was ready to ship. I noticed in the product description a note: "Ask about a free sample."  So I did.  Courtney at Atlas quickly replied that they would be happy to send me a free quart to try. You can bet I said yes - after all, who doesn't love a free chance to put a promising new product to the test?

Curiosity Abounds

Jill Huckins and her crew at Blossom Hill Cemetery in Concord had seen the same video and were happy to hear that I had received some to try. They graciously allowed me to use the monument dedicated to the 11 "Unknown But Not Forgotten" Civil War Soldiers as our test subject. That's how much trust we all have in the folks at Atlas Preservation - enough to try out a brand new product on such an important stone, even though D/2 has long been considered the gold standard.

I wet down this stone (and the post behind it) and using a plastic putty knife scraped off the lichen. After dampening everything once more, I sprayed on the Endurance Gravestone Monument Cleaner and walked away.  Well, I snapped a few more pictures first, then walked away.

Did It Work?

One week later, I returned—and I was impressed. It worked like I remember D/2 working when I first discovered it: miraculously.

While D/2 remains effective, many have noted discussions over the past couple of years about it seeming... thinner? Perhaps a less concentrated solution than it once was.  When I first learned about D/2 from Richard Maloon at an NHOGA workshop, he even recommended cutting it by half with water. I haven’t heard anyone suggest doing that in quite some time.

I did put in some scrubbing effort on the stone and utilized my trusty toothbrushes and wooden skewers to delve into the intricate engravings. With nothing more than water and a little elbow grease, I managed to extract even more of the staining.

What’s Next

I’ll be back in Concord soon to check on this monument again and I am genuinely excited to see just how much brighter this monument will undoubtedly be.

Stay tuned—I’ll be sharing updated photos and results soon. If Endurance keeps performing like this, it will have earned a permanent spot in my cleaning kit.

If you’re wondering whether a stone you care about could benefit from a professional cleaning—I’d love to hear from you.