Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 10, 1999 08:11am | #1

   *
   Give it time, it'll go away.

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 10, 1999 08:08pm | #2

   *Paul. Efflorescense is moisture caused. Some types are temporary. Because the salts are water soluble the stains will sometimes disappear with washing or when it rains or vanish--as andrew d suggests--of its own accord.Large desposiuts or stubborn ones can be removed with a solution of 1 part of muriatic acid to 12 parts of water. First saturate the brick with water and again after the scrubbing.There is a permanent type of efflorescense that comes and goes over the years. Often it will disappear after heavy rains but return again. Hope this helps. GeneL.

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 10, 1999 09:32pm | #3

   *I would agree with Gene except for the muriatic acid advice. Though he proposes a weak acid solution, muriatic acid is not always appropriate for use on brick, except maybe to remove fresh mortar. But after that, one is likely to get permanent staining when the acid reacts with the minerals and metals in the masonry, and I would be hesitant to use it as an early choice. I'll concede that a lot of staining might be attributed to folks using too-strong acid solutions, but acid will almost always stain lighter brick and will bleach colored mortars. Go to the Brick Institute of America's web site and read their tech notes (#20) for cleaning instructions. Soap or TSP and water is probably best, or let it go, as andrew d advises. Sure-Klean (ProSoCo)also has a variety of masonry cleaning products for different applications.