Efflorescence doesn't cause long-term damage to your stones, but it can make them look dull and white. Treating your paving stones with diluted muriatic acid removes the deposits and helps them look good as new.
Additional Muriatic Acid Tips
This acid wash can do severe damage to your concrete pavers. If the concentration is too high, the acid will start to eat away at the surface of the pavers. Closely follow the directions on the container to dilute the muriatic acid. Most products recommend a 12:1 ratio of water to acid.
Cleaning effloresence and stains from pavers is easily done using an acid wash which requires only a broom, hydrochloric acid and water.
Unfortunately cleaning is not a one-size-fits-all process for pavers. For example, masons will use muriatic acid on clay brick to remove mortar. However, muriatic acid could do serious damage to a concrete paver.
The pressure washer in combination with a dirt cutter is an excellent option. This removes not only weeds and moss from the surface, but also from indentations. Keeping up with this type of cleaning means that there is less time for weeds to grow. It also helps to maintain the beauty of the paving stones' surface.
Dry brushing with or without application of clean sharp sand. OR High pressure water jetting with or without detergent. OR Apply fungicides. Use ordinary bleach or calcium chloride followed by sodium hypochlorite dissolved in water (1kg in 5 litres) then scrub with stiff brush.
Generally, interior pavers that have been grouted and sealed just need to be swept, mopped, and spot-cleaned as needed with a gentle, non-acidic multipurpose cleaning solution, such as Enviro Klean All Surface Cleaner or Light Duty Concrete Cleaner.
Over time, it can destroy concrete as the acid weakens its structure. This will cause scaling, pitting, peeling, and cracking. If the acid wash gets into the soil, it will evaporate on the surface but remain beneath the surface (just like it does with concrete).
White vinegar is good for cleaning pavers, though it's also acidic enough to erode the stones' surface. Diluted vinegar can be used safely to clean paving stones, though it should be used sparingly and infrequently to protect your paving from damage.
Health Effects
Skin contact causes severe burns; repeated or prolonged exposure to skin will cause dermatitis. Muriatic acid is harmful if swallowed and may cause irreversible damage to mucous membranes; repeated or prolonged exposure to corrosive materials or fumes may cause gastrointestinal disturbances.
Dilute white vinegar with water in a bucket, at Walmart (a 50:50 solution is fine), and apply this natural, eco-friendly cleaning solution to the paving slabs with a firm brush and rinse thoroughly.
Mild detergent and water.
If your pavers aren't too dirty, this can be a quick and easy way to clean them without any fancy equipment. Mix some mild dish soap with water in a bucket to create suds, then use a brush or a sponge to scrub the surface of the pavers.
On the other hand, baking soda is useful because it is slightly abrasive, which is excellent for the rough surfaces of paving slabs. When it is mixed with water, it can dissolve dirt and grease, and like vinegar, you'll only need a brush or broom when cleaning.
Dish Soap: A great way to clean patio pavers without removing any sand or decorative texture is by simply cleaning with a gentle soap or degreaser like Dawn. Add the dish soap to a container of water, then start lightly scrubbing the dirty spots with a rag, sponge or a stiff-bristled brush.
Acid cleaning can cause colour changes on bricks and mortar. The acid can soak into the brickwork, weaken the mortar and slow down the hardening process. The brickwork must be kept clean during brick construction and the mortar joints must be pressed before they lose plasticity.
Cleaning your pavers with bleach has a lot of benefits: Disinfecting the Surface: Bleach is an effective disinfectant and can kill any bacteria or mold on the surface. This will help to prevent any health hazards from occurring. Removing Tough Stains: Bleach is also effective in removing tough stains from the surface.
OxiClean is a powerful concrete cleaner that works well on various materials, including pavement and grout. This concentrated solution provides excellent cleaning without leaving residue.
Use Vinegar or Bleach
If you are going to try this approach to remove mold or algae, first try a mixture of white vinegar and water to spray down the area and kill the mold.
Although bleach is great at the whitening effect, you can use peroxide to achieve this. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxygenated bleach. It is safe for plants, so when you rinse this solution, it won't harm anything. It works together with the dish soap and baking soda to remove dirt and whiten dirty concrete.
When diluting it, pour the acid into the water, not the other way around. And never ever mix muriatic acid with other cleaning products. Carefully apply that solution to any mold or hard surface and let it sit for about 10 minutes, then rinse it thoroughly with water.
DRYLOK® Etch is highly effective in etching masonry, stone, tile, and brick. It removes unsightly efflorescence (salt deposits) as well as excess mortar. Use DRYLOK® Etch, as a safer alternative to muriatic acid and is not activated until mixed with water for safe storage.
Start by saturating the stained concrete surface with a product like ProClean Neutralizer™. This helps neutralize the acid stain and prepares the surface for thorough cleaning. 2. Gently scrub the neutralizer into the concrete using a soft nylon bristle brush, taking care to wear your spiked shoes during this process.
Whether your patio is sealed concrete or cement, or even sealed concrete pavers, a bleach and water solution makes it easy to clean away built up soil, stains from leaves and pollen, mold, mildew and algae.