The Cenotaph is a tall stone war memorial on Whitehall, London. Built in 1919-20 from Portland Stone to the design of Edwin Lutyens, it features carved stone wreaths on its sides, and serves as the main national memorial of the United Kingdom commemorating soldiers who perished in the First World War.

Each year on Remembrance Sunday, a memorial service and parade is held at the Cenotaph, with the Queen and senior politicians and members of the armed forces in attendance.

THE PROBLEM
Cleaning of the Cenotaph has to be regularly carried out, and it needs to be given an extra clean as part of the general preparations for the annual Remembrance Day Ceremony. This must be done to exacting standards while preserving the integrity of the stone.

THE SOLUTION
The ThermaTech equipment from Restorative Techniques was used by skilled and experienced personnel from DBR (London) Limited to clean off accumulated road grime and atmospheric pollutants. Super heated steam was delivered by a lance, as can be seen in the photographs, to leave the stonework in an exemplary state. It is fortunate that there is generous space on both sides of the Cenotaph on which to site the cleaning vehicle and the ThermaTech equipment. The cleaning is usually carried out early in the morning before the space gets filled up with other service providers associated with the ceremonial preparations.

THE OUTCOME
The Cenotaph is now in a presentable state, as befits such an important event, thanks to the cleaning work successfully carried out by DBR using the ThermaTech. The expertly cleaned stonework, together with the special ceremonial flags, is ready to take part in the National Remembrance Ceremony for all to see with pride.