Acid Wash

[sacwoodpusher]

My bricklayer tells me to use acetic acid, yep, vinegar to wash the brick after grouting.

I am not sure if it is the vinegar, the scrub brush, or the garden hose that is cleaning the haze off of the bricks, but they do come clean.

Does muriatic acid work better?

[Tscarborough]

Do not use muriatic acid on your brick.

[RTflorida]

I agree with Ts, stay away from the acid, it is what it is......ACID. Very caustic and harmful to you, the brick, and the mortar/grout. It will most certainly weaken any grout or mortar...if it does not disolve it. Used straight or in too strong of a mix, it will disolve your joints before you know whats happening.
Did I mention the burns? Or potential blindness? The stuff seems to gravity to the most sensitive body parts, regardless of how you try to apply it.
I am a firm believer in cleaning as you go...much easier to remove while still soft. Then a brush and water after the fact to remove the haze.

RT

[Tscarborough]

In addition to what is said above, it will soak into the brick and release salts, so that the brick will effloresce. If you are really good and know exactly what you are dealing with, muriatic acid can be used to clean certain brick under certain conditions with the proper preparation and application. In short, don't do it.

[sacwoodpusher]

Thanks all.

The vinegar seems totally adequate. Here's to edible solvents.

As I said, the brush or simply the garden hose may be doing all of the work.

We do wipe the brick down as we go.....but of course, the brick does need a little post grout cleaning. Alternatively, I guess I could get better with a grout bag.

Using the H C. Muddox brick here in Sacramento. The Black Klinker are beautiful, but very uneven. The other brick I have selected, REDWOOD, is hard as all get out to cut. Feed the chop saw a little aggressively to make sure the blade is going into cool material, or it "slags" and you have to wait a few seconds to cut it. Like many things, it takes a touch.

Their firebricks cut very easily. Wish there were more even than they are. Sometimes, they have quite a bow in them.

[brickie in oz]

Every house when built here in Oz gets a wash with hydrochloric acid also know as Spirits of Salts.

Ive yet to see a house suffer from efflorescence after the wash?

Acid Washing : BrikiWiki the home of online brickwork.

[Tscarborough]

It is not Hydrochloric, it is muriatic, which is a 30% solution of hydrochloric, and as your wiki states, it is not something DIY'ers should do, and it is not the proper type cleaner for all type bricks.

In short, why use it when there are better products available that will not burn the brick or cause efflorescence, to say nothing of the personal danger?

[brickie in oz]

Originally Posted by Tscarborough

It is not Hydrochloric, it is muriatic, which is a 30% solution of hydrochloric, and as your wiki states, it is not something DIY'ers should do, and it is not the proper type cleaner for all type bricks.

In short, why use it when there are better products available that will not burn the brick or cause efflorescence, to say nothing of the personal danger?

So what do you suggest as an alternative?

People, amateurs included, wash bricks everyday here without incident.

[Tscarborough]

I would suggest that you don't smear the brick with mortar, first, and if you do then there are various proprietary acidic cleaners available that will not burn the brick. Sure Klean 600 is the main one here in the states, I am sure there is an Aussie analogue. Vinegar is also a good choice, but the best method is soft bristle after tooling, then wire brush if needed after initial set.

[brickie in oz]

Originally Posted by Tscarborough

It is not Hydrochloric, it is muriatic, which is a 30% solution of hydrochloric,

Sold here as Spirits of Salts.