A man spent three days cleaning 185 graves - and says the side hustle has enabled his family to be "financially free"."

Shuan Tookey, 32, has hand-cleaned more than 750 graves since he began his side business in May 2023.

Families will pay him between £150 and £250 for a deep clean and £350 and £450 for a deep clean, repainted lettering and decorative chippings for headstones belonging to loved ones.

Shaun said it can take him up to two hours and he cleans between two and four graves a day, alongside a full-time job as a tree surgeon.

He recently took on one of his biggest jobs yet - cleaning 185 graves in three days for St Elizabeth Centre, Much Hadham, Hertfordshire.

Shaun said his business has enabled him to buy his first home and stop worrying about money.

Shaun, from Harlow, Essex, said: "I have more financial freedom than I ever had before."

"I am essentially bringing in two incomes. This was super helpful while my partner was on maternity leave - it means we didn't have to stress."

"I didn't use to appreciate money. I had always wasted money, and now I have turned my life around."

"Even if we go to the zoo as a family, that can be super expensive - now we don't have to worry about the cost."

Shaun estimates he has cleaned well over 700 graves and shares his transformations on TikTok and Facebook - @thegravecleaner.

Some of his clients come from word of mouth, but Shaun says a lot of interest comes from his social media.

He said: "Most of my jobs are through social media. It is such a big platform, and my videos are getting a lot better."

"I also go round posting leaflets and cards."

"When I go to a cemetery for a job, people will often come up to me and say they didn't know this service existed in the UK."

He said: "It all depends on the type of grave, what sort of lettering it has."

"Whether or not the family want gold leaf lettering, then I can do that, and if they just want paint, I can supply that."

"I have my standard rates, and I do add-ons."

In August 2025, Shaun was asked to clean 185 graves and five statues at the St Elizabeth Centre, a charity supporting children and young adults with complex needs.

In four days, Shaun completed the job - cleaning 60 graves a day on average.

He said: "After cleaning 185 graves in three days, I certainly felt the physical strain - it is demanding, detailed work. "

"Yet the tiredness was outweighed by a real sense of achievement. "

"Restoring each headstone is about more than stonework. It is about dignity, remembrance, and ensuring that names and stories are not lost to time. "

"To see inscriptions visible again and memorials cared for gives me a deep satisfaction, knowing that the community's history is being preserved."

Since starting his business in May 2023, Shaun said his side business had allowed him to have "stability" and purchase his first family home in December 2024."

He said: "It has given us financial freedom in a way."

"I bought our first family home in December 2024. Before that, we had been renting."

"It was a massive achievement for me, it is a great feeling to know that your business is working."

"It gives me a steady income to provide a life for my family, something we didn't think would be possible in this day and age."