I cleaned a stranger’s dirty grave for free – trolls say it’s disrespectful but everyone deserves a nice resting place
A WOMAN has split opinion after revealing how she cleaned someone’s overgrown gravestone for free so it looked clean.
In a clip which has been viewed nearly 90million times, TikTok user @_the_clean_girl showed how she scrubbed it until it was left gleaming.
In the video, the woman rolled a pink ball and seemingly chose an overgrown grave at random.
She shared: “Let’s clean a random grave. Who do you think is buried here? Let’s clean it and find out.
“I have so many questions. How old is this grave? It looks like it’s been here for 500 years.
“How did this grave get so dirty? Whoa! There’s a tree growing out of it.
“This transformation is extremely hard for me, but I believe everyone deserves a beautiful grave.”
After adding some pink foam to the cross on the grave she scrubbed away until it was left looking sparkling white.
She also removed any leaves and debris on the tombstone using a leaf blower, and then cleaned it with water and foam.
Her cleaning job meant that she was able to uncover some information about the woman whose gravestone it was.
She explained: “Okay, so I did some research.
“A woman is buried here, and she has two brothers just like me. I need to make her family proud.
“Maria Lugo Texador. She died on January 19, 1990.”
TikToker @_the_clean_girl then showed off the before and after shots, hailing her work as “satisfying.”
While the results were impressive, it has divided some users online.
One wrote: “The respect and disrespect at the same time.”
Another added: “I don’t know what to think, this feels wrong.”
However, some people were on her side and defended her act of kindness.
One said: “It might seem disrespectful, but imagine being a family member and coming to visit and arriving to a beautiful and clean grave. I’d feel so happy.”
Are you allowed to clean a stranger's grave?
MANY of us have visited cemeteries where headstones have been coated with plant material such as moss, lichens, and mould.
While this grime can be cleaned off, it’s important to do so carefully to avoid damaging the stone.
While many gravestones are made of stone, older ones can be surprisingly delicate – with hidden stress cracks, peeling layers, or other age-related problems.
Susan Dunham of Maine Gravesite Maintenance said: “Anyone desiring to clean the headstones and markers in a cemetery should get permission from a descendant, the sexton, cemetery superintendent or the town, in that order.
“If unsure who to ask, go to your town cemetery keeper and inquire.
“It is not acceptable to take it upon yourself to clean the headstones without permission, without learning the correct methods or not using approved materials.
“You may however, clean your own family members’ stones.”