Immediately lightly agitate the area.
Cleaning stone fireplace with muriatic acid.
Mix one pint of muriatic acid with a gallon of water in.
Tips for cleaning stone with muriatic acid.
Use caution when working with acid.
Let the solution dwell for five minutes.
It s best to clean the stone as soon as possible after the mortar or other cement based material has sufficiently cured.
Begin at the top of the stone fireplace.
If the mortar is too soft the acid will eat into that too.
Prepare a diluted solution of your acid based cleaner.
Never use muriatic acid on stone or masonry.
Use a plastic bucket to mix it in and always add the water to the bucket first and then slowly pour in the muriatic acid afterward.
It the chemical of choice for some types of masonry cleaning.
Fill a 5 gallon bucket with 10 parts cool water and 1 part.
Acid is able to penetrate and clean stone and cement.
Always pour acid into water never water into acid.
Wear a pair of rubber gloves and safety goggles.
Avoid uneven or prolonged contact because etching uneven cleaning or streaking can result.
This is the concentration you are going to find in your local hardware store.
Dip a second brush into the masonry cleaner mixture then gently apply the brush to the brick.
You will be diluting this cleaning product with water before cleaning any masonry surfaces.
It s important to pour the masonry cleaner into the water instead of the other way around to prevent any burns from the acid.
Acid will etch most stone brick masonry surfaces.
How to clean stones with muriatic acid step 1.
Cement becomes more difficult to remove over time.
How to brighten and lighten a stone fireplace step 1.
Muriatic acid is sold in a standardized concentration of 31 45 acid and 68 55 inert ingredients primarily water.
Brush the surface dirt and debris off.
Dunk a clean soft sponge in the remaining tsp solution then apply it to the entire fireplace surround making sure to wet both the stone and the grout.
Let the brick absorb the cleaner for 3 5 minutes then use the water brush to scrub any residue off the brick.
Using a pump up sprayer spray a small area no larger than 3 x 3.
