Help with cleaning, please?

[phelix17]

Hi all,

While I was overseas on business, my wife hired a plasterer to skim walls in our living room. The walls adjoin interior concrete block in our mid-century design home. The contractor, for whatever reason, failed to mask off these walls, and my wife is, let's just put it this way, very blonde, so she didn't oversee the project. So I have hardened plaster residue and splatter on the architectural block, in the pores of the block.

The contractor is no where to be found, so the cleaning is left to me.

1. Can I do this?
2. How do I do it without damaging the appearance of the block?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[TonyM]

Try a scrubbing brush and warm water, maybe with some sugar soap added. A needle gun would probably damage the block, especially if they are old. The plaster will absorb the moisture and should break down with light scrubbing. Any problems, PM me and next time you are away on business, i'll be happy to pop round and do it for you.

 

[allyb]

try watering down some brick acid, usually does the trick

 

[phelix17]

Try a scrubbing brush and warm water, maybe with some sugar soap added. A needle gun would probably damage the block, especially if they are old. The plaster will absorb the moisture and should break down with light scrubbing. Any problems, PM me and next time you are away on business, i'll be happy to pop round and do it for you.

Just warm water and elbow grease? I can do that. Thanks. And thanks for the offer for next time. If only I could back in time you'd have had this job to begin with.

 

[phelix17]

try watering down some brick acid, usually does the trick

Is there another name for brick acid? I'm in the US, and I don't know that I've ever heard of that before.

TY for reply.

 

[warriorupnorth]

Is there another name for brick acid? I'm in the US, and I don't know that I've ever heard of that before.

TY for reply.

hydrocloric

 

[mark ross]

You may find this link helpful

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=is%20brick%20acid%20hydrochloric%20or%20sulphuric&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boral.com.au%2FImages%2Fcommon%2Fclay_bricks_pavers%2Fpdfs%2F1_316.pdf&ei=si7qTvC0C4XltQaHr5GVBw&usg=AFQjCNEK6v9lw0YEuCEnJfjY0r8x8DVHEg

 

[phelix17]

You may find this link helpful

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...r5GVBw&usg=AFQjCNEK6v9lw0YEuCEnJfjY0r8x8DVHEg

Tried it and it works. Many thanks to all for the advice. Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

 

[lucius]

try watering down some brick acid, usually does the trick

Dont do that

 

[allyb]

Happy holidays haha gota love the yanks

 

[Chris W]

Dont do that

why not? travis perkins do.... they call it "Patio and Drive Cleaner".. :/

 

[lucius]

Hello Chriss, the reason i said that is, and meant was dont use it untill you have tested some on whatever substrate you are cleaning as being an Acid can sometimes cause discolouration, for instance on yellow bricks it leaves a green hue there is a method in using this stuff and every substrate has to be treated on its own merits , brick acid, hydrochloric acid, spirits of salts whatever you want to call it is normaly used to clean cement stains i thought he was cleaning Gypsum stains if so acid would be over the top and not needed, anyway he did it and it worked just hope he dosent have some discolouration on his blockwork when it dries out.