cleaning SS brick bay walls

Has anyone found a secret to cleaning years of scum from the brick walls of my SS? Muratic acid does not work!

Jim Ragland
Gilmer, TX

Blue Coral has a product called "Clean All" and Acardian Chem has "Nu Wall", Its the best Ive seen.

Simple Green works but you do have to scrub. Nu-wall works but you have to be extremely careful

where can I get Nu-wall and what are the precautions you mentioned?

Google search "hydrofluoric acid" and you'll get a pretty good idea as to the precautions you'll need to take.

The best thing I have found that I could let someone use is a product called Klenztone#4 It works best if you get an acid spraytank and put the product in full strength. Then spray it on the wall from the botttom up . Then you take a brush and work it into the wall before spraying it off with high pressure. The secret is to let it stay on with dwell time as long as possible without drying. We just use safety glasses when applying it. If you get it in a cut it will sting. But it works great. 5 gallons usually does 2-3 bays.
Klenztone #4 at K&E chemical, Cleveland, Ohio 800-331-1696 Expensive but works. It is also a great stainless cleaner and brightner.

Well hello Richard! How ya been?

Does Klenztone have ABF or HF?

Jim, Just about any chemical mfg has a product that will clean your walls. Arcadian markets this solution for the direct intent of wall cleaning. Other companies may market as a chrome wheel cleaner,aluminum brightener, or even presoak. They may all have the magic ingredient in it. I buy my "aluminum brightener" locally from etowah chemical company. A 5 gallon container is only about $35. As already mentioned, the problem with most wall cleaners or aluminum brighteners is that they use a particularly nasty acid called hydrofluoric acid. Physiologically, I believe it leaches calcium out of your system, and calcium is required for your heart to beat, and I think your bones would like to keep their Calcium supply too.

I was a firefighter in a city that contained an glass etching plant. And they used HF (if I recall close to 50% solution). At that strength, I think literally a few ml on your skin is fatal, period. No amount of Calcium injected into you will fix it. They can't fix you at the hospital. You will be told to "prepare to die in a few hours". Now, that would be a scary place to work.....

In concentrates we see in the carwash business it is a much lower concentrationsthan above: I think about 1-2% in concentrate, usually less than .5% by the time it is diluted for wall cleaning,and much less when used as an aluminum brightener and presoak. Perhaps a chemical guy will tell us percentages in their concentrate. But you still should be very cautious at these lower dilutions. It is decpetively mild when it gets on you and does not sting usually unless another acid such as sulfuric has been added. If you decide to use it, I would reccomend using it on a windless day with eye, respiratory, and skin protection. Apply thoroughly to a dry surface. Scrubbing helps. It may take a few applications to remove several years worth of buildup but it will get to it.

There are a couple of companies attempting to come up with a wall cleaner that is as effective as HF. And as soon as they succeed in developing that product they will have a lot of business. But for now many of us still reluctantly use an HF-based product.

I take a 5 gallon bucket, pour in Nuwall and water. I brush it on the fiberglass walls, bridge of my IBA, and signs. I don't use a sprayer because it uses more chemical and gives the stuff a chance to atomize into the air. It's more work brushing it on, but it's safer. This is the only product I've found that works. My wash bays look brand new again.

I have a long weekend for easter coming up and am thinking about doing some bay cleaning. Does anyone have any 'new' products that haven't been mentioned? We have split face white block on our pillars and it has gotten quite dingy. Hopefully we can get it shined up again.

I use "Klean Wall" on our glazed block walls. It works on the almost-white split-face brick of the columns, but it takes several applications of a strong solution (1:1) to get it clean.

"KLEAN WALL" AKA "HF"

"Klean Wall" does not contain hydrofluoric acid. Perhaps you're thinking of Nu-Wall.

I was talking to a guy at a block co. and he said that aluminum brightener would work really well. I can't wait to get them clean, it has been driving me nuts!

You are probably right. I know we have sent samples of HF free advertised products to be tested, and they comback testing positive for HF. There are so many wall cleaners out there it's easy to get them mixed up...my bad.

Klean Wall is an amazing aluminum and stainless brightener, very much like Zep Alume E, in fact I'm pretty certain Klean Wall was developed for aluminum and is just relabeled for wall cleaning.

Has anyone tried a plant-based acid cleaner? Maybe they would work??? I know they do okay on rims/chrome on vehicles.

Sounds worth a try - do you have a particular brand to recommend? I've never heard of that kind of cleaner.

I hope I haven't been eating the plants from which it's made.

Good words Greg...another tip for HF users:

Keep a tube of calgonate (calcium glutinate) around if you have HF on site...it is specifically made for HF burns on your skin. It's expensive but well worth it. Just don't get the mist in your eyes or breath the stuff either.

Keep all acids a mile away from bleaches. Mustard gas is formed when you mix the two!!!!!

www.calgonate.com

To Everyone: Yes Klean Wall contains a mixture of sulfuric and phosphoric acid. I have personally made it and have been selling it for AP Formulators for the past 10 years. Klean Wall was created after a customer of ours lost his toe after using a competitors product that contained HF. Klean Wall is an Acid and should be respected but in all the demo's I have performed and walls I have cleaned I have never been burned or injured from this product. If you have any questions about this product contact me.

Paul Titus
AP Formulators
Paul@APChemical.com

The instructions for Klean Wall say to dilute it with water and spray it on, but I've found that applying it with a brush is a lot safer since you're not atomizing it, costs less to use because it doesn't splatter onto the floor, and works much better because you can mix it stronger.