Brick mortar is an alkaline material. You can dissolve alkaline compounds with acid. A simple example of this happens to be hard water spots. These white splotches on plumbing faucets and countertops can be quickly cleaned up with regular white vinegar you have in your home.
Blend equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar to create a powerful cleaning solution for brick surfaces. Apply the mixture to the surface and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing with a brush and rinsing with water.
If you're looking to remove mortar, a standard commercial cleaner that is perfect for the job will contain hydrochloric acid. Be sure to remove any vanadium stains (yellow-green discolouration on brick) before using an acid cleaner to prevent an unsightly reaction that is harder to remove.
Mix warm water, a few drops of Dawn, and two tablespoons of Borax in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on the affected mortar. Scrub the area with a bristle brush. Repeat until clean.
Muriatic acid is probably the most effective way to remove hardened cement from a concrete driveway, but it should only be used as a last resort. You should try to remove the stain with a wire brush, or jet wash, before moving on to stronger cleaning products.
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.
The muriatic acid needs to be diluted before you use it or you can permanently damage the brick. It's best to start with a 1:10 solution. This means you'll mix one part acid to 10 parts clean water. Do this in a clean plastic bucket.
Bricks. The acid content in vinegar is particularly good at breaking down the molecules in clay surfaces. Standard bricks are made mostly from clay, so exposure to undiluted vinegar will quickly result in discolouration and a sticky chemical byproduct coating your bricks.
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.
SAKRETE Concrete Mortar Dissolver is a safe, environmentally-friendly liquid alternative to aggressive acid concrete removers. Concrete Mortar Dissolver can be used to remove dried on cement, concrete, mortar or stucco from most surfaces.
Try to remove the cement stains or mortar residue with one part vinegar and one part warm water. Then you brush this solution onto the surface. Leave to absorb and then rinse with clean water. Depending on the type of surface, you can remove cement stains and mortar stains with sandpaper or a scraper.
Poultice: Create a paste by mixing an acidic solution with a neutralizing agent like baking soda or diatomaceous earth. Apply the paste to the hardened cement, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it sit overnight. Scrub and rinse the area the next day.
Mix equal parts vinegar and water and pour into a spray bottle. Spray on the bricks and let is sit for a few minutes. Use a sponge mop to clean the bricks.
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.
Cemelex contains a high strength Hydrochloric Acid (25%) which means that this is one of the strongest formulations available for brickwork cleaning and descaling. Industrial Hydrochloric Acid is only manufactured up to approximately 36% strength due to the difficulties involved in handling and evaporation.
The easiest way to have clean bricks is to prevent mortar splatter during wall construction, but you can also chisel off the mortar once it's dried. For mortar that you can't remove regardless of what you do, using muriatic acid to remove the stubborn mortar may be a good solution.
Cause: Salts can form in bricks, concrete and mortar joints if moisture is present. These salts then react with the lime component in the mortar or concrete. As the moisture evaporates, the white, unattractive crystalline salt stains form on the surface.
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.
A quick answer is yes! White vinegar can clean concrete and remove stains. It may not be as powerful as concrete cleaners, but it can clean up concrete stains on a budget. Not to mention that vinegar can also remove germs and bacteria from concrete.
Vinegar does not dissolve concrete itself but can degrade the cement that binds concrete together. As a weak, dilute acid, vinegar will cause only minor damage to concrete but can take the shine off polished surfaces. It can, however, be used to remove small amounts of cement from tools.