Wear a pair of rubber gloves and safety goggles.
Cleaning stone fireplace with muriatic acid.
Avoid uneven or prolonged contact because etching uneven cleaning or streaking can result.
Mix one pint of muriatic acid with a gallon of water in.
How to brighten and lighten a stone fireplace step 1.
Using a pump up sprayer spray a small area no larger than 3 x 3.
Immediately lightly agitate the area.
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.
Cement becomes more difficult to remove over time.
Begin at the top of the stone fireplace.
If the mortar is too soft the acid will eat into that too.
Acid will etch most stone brick masonry surfaces.
Dip a second brush into the masonry cleaner mixture then gently apply the brush to the brick.
Protect nearby plants and vegetation by covering them with a plastic tarp.
Muriatic acid is sold in a standardized concentration of 31 45 acid and 68 55 inert ingredients primarily water.
How to clean stones with muriatic acid step 1.
Rinse well with clean water.
It s important to pour the masonry cleaner into the water instead of the other way around to prevent any burns from the acid.
Never use muriatic acid on stone or masonry.
This is the concentration you are going to find in your local hardware store.
Prepare a diluted solution of your acid based cleaner.
Acid is able to penetrate and clean stone and cement.
Always pour acid into water never water into acid.
Tips for cleaning stone with muriatic acid.
Fill a 5 gallon bucket with 10 parts cool water and 1 part.
Use caution when working with acid.
It the chemical of choice for some types of masonry cleaning.
Let the brick absorb the cleaner for 3 5 minutes then use the water brush to scrub any residue off the brick.
However make sure the mortar between the stones has cured before you clean the stones.
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.
You will be diluting this cleaning product with water before cleaning any masonry surfaces.