Moderator: Moderators
wendy wrote:I wouldn't use a brush cuz soda straws are too fragile, i'd be afraid of breaking them. The garden spray sounds like a good idea. We are using them on a clean up down here in florida in a tour cave. And yes, using the water in the cave is the best water to use, cuz tap water may have bad stuff in it
Just so you know.... Distilled water has a pH below 7 because it absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere and therefore is corrosive to calcite. I don't know if it's significant to the formations, but technically it is . Non-muddy cave water would probably be a better choice.Ralph E. Powers wrote:Also distilled water has been found to be good and "non-invasive"
Squirrel Girl wrote:Just so you know.... Distilled water has a pH below 7 because it absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere and therefore is corrosive to calcite. I don't know if it's significant to the formations, but technically it is . Non-muddy cave water would probably be a better choice.Ralph E. Powers wrote:Also distilled water has been found to be good and "non-invasive"
glassgnom wrote:about 95% of these decorations are non-active, so I dont think incorporation would be a concern. I am not sure, but I think since this was a closed cave until it was discovered and opened for tourism, human intrusion has changed the moisture level considerably-possibly the sole reason they are not growing anymore. Ralph-the lint is not an issue in here. Come take a tour.
glassgnom wrote:Oops, sorry. Yes, it is Ruby Falls. There is so much damage done in the cave after 76 years of public tours, it is sad to see day after day-preservation of what is left in there is of concern to me, and since there are over 450,000 visitors there a year, it would be nice for them to see a cave that didnt have dust beards on the stalagtites that are sometimes 2" long! Thanks for all the input-hopefully the head of maintenance there will use your advice.
glassgnom wrote:Actually, Wendy, another grotto member who works at Ruby Falls has volunteered her time to clean up -however, my politics prevent me from doing so. It is a privately owned cave, and my opinion is that the owners should be responsible. This is probably the most advertised cave in the U.S.,they make money hand over fist, and they could WELL afford to be accountable for their impact on the cave. Just my opinion, of course.
Is the cave your grotto working on privately owned, or does the state or feds own it?
glassgnom wrote:thanks for all your input. The maintenance man took the suggestion of using water, and it worked beautifully! There is a hallway with hundreds of soda straws that was REALLY dirty, with "dust stalagmites" hanging off the formations. It looks a whole lot better, and they are using water sprays on a lot of other sections of the caves. Again, thanks!
Users browsing this forum: No registered users