How to Get Red Mud Off of Brick
During a construction job involving brick, it is not uncommon to for your building material to get dirty. If red mud is in the construction area it can easily stick to your bricks, creating a messy and unfinished appearance. Depending on how deeply it has saturated the pores of the brick, and how thoroughly it has cured, removing red mud can be quite difficult or easy. Sometimes simply using a scrub brush and water will be effective, but other times you will need a small amount of cleaning solution to properly finish the task.
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Find the recommended cleaning product for your specific brick and mortar. Different types of bricks contain different minerals that react in varying ways to each cleaner. What may perfectly clean one brick may discolor or bleach another, so find out from the brick and mortar manufacturers what they recommend you use.
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Put on safety goggles and gloves.
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Mix water and your cleaning solution together in a bucket in the proper proportions. Each cleaner will specify on the bottle what the correct ratio is.
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Apply the cleaning solution mixture to a test brick to verify that there are no adverse reactions.
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Protect any other surfaces around the brick you are cleaning.
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Soak the area you are cleaning with clean water.
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Apply the cleaning solution to the wall with a long hand stiff fiber brush. Start from the top and work your way down.
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Let the cleaning solution set for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer.
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Scrub the brick forcefully with the brush.
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Rinse off the brick with ample amounts of water from top to bottom to prevent leaving behind a scummy white residue.
Tips
- Scrubbing of the red mud before it cures will give you the best results.
Warnings
- Always wear safety gear when handling cleaning chemicals.
Writer Bio
Samuel Wexler has been writing since 2004. He has expertise in classical music, violin performance, martial arts, French and German, and is also experienced and knowledgeable about fitness, traveling, composition, electronic production, self-improvement, psychology and meditation. Wexler will graduate with honors in May 2011 from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Music and is the recipient of various awards for academics and music.
Photo Credits
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