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I recently exposed the brick on an inside wall of my 1900 home and am now searching for a way to clean it up a bit. I understand that muriatic acid is most commonly used, but am not sure how to work with it. Can anyone give me some tips or a safer alternative? Thanks!!
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Vinegar might work satisfactorily on mortar so old.
*I think SureClean is the product you are looking for.Check with a masonary supply compay. Theu have a bunch of different product for cleaning brick. Some are mild enough to not destroy vegetation, so would probably be safe enough to use inside you home.Be sure to get the MSDS sheet whit whatever you purchase.
*Jill,We use muriatic acid diluted 50/50 with water. Make sure that you pour the acid into the water, not vice versa.For inside work we put down heavy plastic on the floor and have lots of rags around to soak up the water/acid. Good rubber gloves and a face shield are good items for self-protection. Also, have large plastic trash bags handy for the wet rags and baking soda to neutralize the brick after using the acid. A good stiff nylon or steel brush will help to work the excess mortar off the brick. When working inside with older weakened mortar we will use a 2" paint brush to selectively apply the dilute acid, trying to contain the acid as much as possible to the faces of the bricks - slow going, but it works.Good luck,Cliff.