Cleaning up exterior bricks

We installed a new planter retaining wall in our garden last fall made with reclaimed bricks. We picked them for their nice orange-ish color. Over the winter, many of the bricks turned white, see photo. What’s the best way to get them back to their color and clean the white stuff off without damaging them? Thanks!

stickerhappy

in Masonry 10 years and 1 month ago

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edificerex | 10 years and 1 month ago

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Looks like efflorescence. Try tap water and a brush first. Then with some tri sodium phosphate. It’s unlikely you need muriatic acid unless the TSP doesn’t work.

concord | 10 years and 1 month ago

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What they said above…no big deal…

Arkady | 10 years and 1 month ago

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Not all HD stores carry it. Tarzian on 7th Av @ 2nd St. does.

thetinkerswagon | 10 years and 1 month ago

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I can tell you what will do it but it is something that can damage bricks. Muriatic acid. now most of the muriatic in the stores is 10%. maybe if you cut it to 5% and sprayed it with a trigger sprayer and brushed it lightly, it would work. hose it right off. I used some muriatic on some 140 year old bricks about 3 decades ago and I had opportunity to look at that job recently and all is fine. also, I was very young when I did that job and a lot less cautious than I am now, so I know I was just splashing that stuff all over the place without reservation; the bricks are still fine. A few people are going to come on here and say that the stuff is really dangerous. I use it with my bare hands all the time (briefly) when cleaning metals. the fumes are bad in an enclosed area (yes, dangerous; you feel like your lungs will shut down). and you do not want it in your eyes. I doubt I wore eye protection on the job 31 years ago but at some point I realized that we only have two eyes and they are best protected. Home depot carries the stuff. Steve