Post by Hartmut Jenner

In 2005 I personally witnessed the cleaning of the presidential heads on Mount Rushmore, South Dakota (USA). Lichens, algae, mosses and other organic soiling were removed, which would have damaged the underlying stone in the long term because of biocorrosion. This was hands-down a once-in-a-lifetime moment and opportunity as Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of the Board of Management at the time. Dedication to culture and cleaning: 190 Monuments in 44 years… You may ask yourself – how come? And the answer is simple: As a family-owned company we are dedicated to promoting culture, nature and society. It’s our way of giving something back! Our cultural sponsorship program began back in the 1970s and since 1980 we’ve even conducted cleaning projects around the globe.  Today, 44 years later, we look back at more than 190 monuments that were cleaned with the help of Kärcher, countless hours of expertise provided – and we are even more in awe of our cultural heritage. Monument restoration: Cleaning expertise free of charge What most people might not expect: We have been offering these services free of charge! We even permanently employ two specialists at Kärcher that serve as external consultants and share their skills with the representatives of all the monuments and sites that have been cleaned and will be cleaned by Kärcher in the future. We take these cleaning tasks extremely seriously, since we know about the challenges that arise when it comes to restoring monuments. This is why we determine the right cleaning methods only after a profound analysis of the materials and the dirt conditions. Among those proven cleaning techniques are low-pressure particle blasting, hot-water high-pressure cleaning with a steam stage or even laser technology, to name a few.  The most impressive cleaning operations worldwide Monuments that are part of the Kärcher cultural sponsoring program have always been very unique and so has the process of cleaning and restoring. Over the years I have come to realize that it is most important to cultivate connections with those who cooperate with us in order to preserve the gems of our cultural heritage. And knowing how much work and craftsmanship is behind these wonders, it has made me enjoy them even more. Throughout the years, Kärcher was trusted to carry out extremely prestigious cleaning projects to remember. And I am very proud of our employees who put their heart and soul into preserving our monuments and helping to protect this world heritage site. So why did I share all this?  It’s International Day for Monuments and Sites – and as you may know now – to Kärcher this means quite a lot! #Kärcher #worldheritage #internationaldayformonuments #UNESCO