Vinegar is a weak acid but can be used effectively for removing mortar stains. Mix a reasonable quantity of this acid with water and use it to scrub the stained brick. In some cases, more vinegar is necessary to remove mortar from your stone.
Yes, you can add white vinegar and water to a spray bottle and use it to apply the solution to a wall for cleaning purposes. This is a standard method for applying vinegar to brick or other surfaces that need cleaning.
Fortunately, you can take simple steps to remove these unwanted marks from your sandstone or limestone surface, using a cement remover acid such as phosphoric acid, trisodium phosphate, and even vinegar.
There are other acids that will react and dissolve the alkaline chemicals in the mortar. Even the white vinegar found in your kitchen will work to some degree. The challenge for you is to find an acid somewhere between vinegar and hydrochloric acid that will efficiently remove the mortar buildup.
Cleaning concrete with vinegar will not damage it! However, saturating concrete for an extended period will damage the cement that binds concrete together. Over time, vinegar erodes the concrete itself, so be careful.
KLEEN KRETE is a biodegradable mortar, stucco, grout, and concrete and cement dissolver which can be used on nearly any surface without causing damage. KLEEN KRETE dissolves, releases, and removes hardened concrete and cement from form work, machinery, and other tools.
Mix Dawn and baking soda into a paste to clean detailed brickwork. For old brick, always try the least abrasive method and work your way up. Use a sturdy bristle brush when it comes to fireplace brick cleaning.
WD-40 may remove paint stuck to brick if applied directly and in large quantities, allowing it to sit on the surface for a few hours.
If you don't have the supplies for the ammonia mixture, you can also use bleach or hydrogen peroxide to remove mold, mildew, and stains. Remove dirt and debris using the broom. Put on safety gear. Pour ½ cup of bleach or hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle with 3 cups of water.
Brick cleaning should only be undertaken by a trained professional. A hydrochloric acid solution is commonly used to remove mortar stains from clay brickwork. Any acid used incorrectly can damage the brick or cause unsightly staining and can be more difficult to repair.
An easy solution is to let the mortar dry and, at the end of the project, clean the mortar off the wall with muriatic acid. You can apply these same techniques to most masonry projects involving cement products. Muriatic acid is also called hydrochloric acid, spirits of salt, or acidum salis.
Mix up a warm water and dish detergent solution. The only trick to this step is that you cannot have bubbles in the mixture so keep mixing until all the bubbles disappear. Set it aside for now. Using one of your stiff brushes, start wiping it across the mortar that you need to remove from your manufactured stone.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
Simply fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and vinegar (or water and baking soda), and add a little bit of liquid dish detergent. Spray the mixture on your concrete surface and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then scrub and rinse your concrete.
White vinegar will not damage your concrete. However, leaving this solution for an extended period will damage the cement that binds the concrete together. Hence, you should be careful when using vinegar on your concrete, especially if you will use this solution on polished concrete.
Muriatic acid is a powerful and corrosive acidic liquid made from hydrochloric acid, water, and other trace minerals. This product is a very strong acid that will clean dried cement products off stones, bricks, and other masonry surfaces.
Apply Simple Green.
Use the pressure washer's detergent setting to spray Simple Green onto the bricks. Be careful not to use pressure above 3,000 psi. Higher pressure can damage the surface of the brick and actually wash away the joint sand between bricks.