4

I have a new brick wall but large areas are becoming covered in white salty deposits; I want these removed - how can I do it?

Update

Thanks Niall. Just out of interest, can acid do damage to bricks? These are rustic, textured and quite expensive bricks.

Tester101
  • 131,561
  • 78
  • 320
  • 610
flesh
  • 181
  • 1
  • 2
  • 4
  • Acid can damage the bricks. It can also eat through your sink. However, we're talking diluted white vinegar here, which isn't strong enough to do either. – Chris Cudmore Nov 03 '11 at 15:39

4 Answers4

3

Dilute white malt vinegar (a 50/50 solution) will remove it; apply it with a nylon brush dipped in the solution and scrub gently. If you're outdoors, you could rinse the wall down afterwards with water. If not, scrub it again using plain water.

The vinegar reacts with the lime leaching out of the bricks (which is causing the efflorescence) to form a different salt of calcium which (a) isn't visible and (b) is water soluble, so rinsing or scrubbing the second time should get rid of it.

Niall C.
  • 20,779
  • 17
  • 92
  • 133
0

I have been looking for years looking for something to get rid of and keep away white leaching from my bricks, fianlly something has worked....vegetable oil.

ustoolman6811
  • 1
-1

I have used acid on my dark red brick which turned white from salty deposits. It did not work so I used a roller and rolled vegetable oil on them and now it looks like new brick!

Niall C.
  • 20,779
  • 17
  • 92
  • 133
Judy Lapak
  • 1
-2

I used a $50 wet/dry shop Vac vacuum cleaner. It sucked everything. very clean job.

Den
  • 1