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Cleaning bay walls

Man, in my part of the woods idiots smoke acid. You should see what they look like! Bad skin, rotten teeth, no teeth, loss of hair, caughing, and they kind of look and act crazy. They say they are cooking it up. Not a smart move.
 
Update:
Last weekend I completed my wall cleaning project. I used 1 gallon muriatic acid mixed with 1 gallon of water in a pump sprayer. I just sprayed it on and HP sprayed if off. I did go back to the more heavily soiled areas and repeated the process. It was very easy and worked well. I did have goggles, respirator, gloves, my arms and legs covered. Thanks for all your great advice!!!
Thanks again,
Kirb
 
Do you have any before and after pics? I tried doing the same thing in one of my bays last week and it didn't do anything. I used a 4:1 ratio and a 3000 psi pressure washer.
 
John,
Sorry I don't have any pics but I would try 50/50 mix or use straight on heavily soiled areas. I will not get grease and rust stains off.
 
Bubbles Galore said:
I tried doing the same thing in one of my bays last week and it didn't do anything.
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There is something in our water that the softener doesn't remove that causes a mild build-up on the walls over time. Muriatic acid wouldn't do anything to it at all. You know it's working if it bubbles and turns a greemish-yellow. If the build-up is bad, you may have to use it stronger or straight, or you may just need a different cleaner. I had to use Klean-Wall.
 
Sounds good. If it cleans like you guys say it does, could I just use my bay hose to rinse it off instead of getting out the pressure washer? I would think that most of the cleaning power would be in the chemical and not in the amount of pressure needed to rinse it off.
 
Cleaning

Each spring, I use a pressure washer on the sandstone-type block walls and clean off all the accumulated grunge as well as the areas of green growth. Just the high pressure alone cleans the block walls like new.

I'm curious to learn what is the advantage of using the various chemicals at all versus just using a plain pressure washer?
 
Come on over to my place, I will even let you use my pressure washer :D

Chemicals is the only thing that will work on mine. My walls were neglected pretty bad and that is what lead to all this buildup and such. I will try a 1:1 ratio this weekend and let you know what happens.

Kirb: Did you just use your HP from your bay?
 
I use only the high-pressure - I recently helped someone clean up a neglected wash where the walls were so dirty you could hardly see the mortar lines. We used muriatic acid straight, and it worked so well that even another pass from the pump sprayer would rinse off the buildup. On our walls I use just the high-pressure along with the Klean-Wall - it would probably go faster with a 3000 PSI spray, but it isn't necessary and would probably just get me even wetter than I already get doing it.
 
I have renewed faith in the fact that a better ratio will work. It will be quicker for me to try out if you guys are saying that I don't need to lug my pressure washer all over the place. I will take some before and after pics and see what I can come up with this weekend.

Thanks!
 
My walls are concrete block. About once a year I spray Bleach, which is only 4% Sodium hypochlorite on to the walls and floors to kill the green algae that build up, I use it straight out of the container in a garden type pump sprayer. It turns the green algae brown on contact. I use a zero degree turbo nozzle on the end of a 3 foot lance on the bay hose to pressure wash off the brown algae, my bays run at 1500 psi. I always wear rubber boots, rain suit and rubber gloves.
 
I have to bleach the walls and bay floors, particularly the auto bay, about once a month. I dilute the bleach 1.5:1 (2.5 gallon sprayer, 1 gallon of bleach and filled the rest of the way with water), spray it on the algae and just leave it. I try to do it as late in the evening as I can because of the smell, and the next morning the remnants of the algae will rinse off with a garden hose.
 
I'm gonna take some before and after pics tomorrow when I try cleaning my walls again with a stronger solution. The weather is supposed to be perfect tomorrow, but with 8 bays, I can shut one down and try it out.
 
Bubbles Galore said:
I'm gonna take some before and after pics tomorrow when I try cleaning my walls again with a stronger solution. The weather is supposed to be perfect tomorrow, but with 8 bays, I can shut one down and try it out.
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John, did you get your walls cleaned? Have any before & after pics?
 
I like to use muratic acid in the following way. I either brush it on or spray it on 2 frp panels at a time. I dilute it 1 or 2 parts to water. I let it sit for a couple of minutes then go back over and brush it off using more acid. Then a quick rinse with water and the panels are usually clean. I have found that if you use muratic acid straight with a nylon brush it will melt the brush bristles together.
Phosphate based presoak will result in more algea growth on the walls vs. presoak based on sodium or patasium hydroxide based presoak.
 
I did not get a chance to clean them. I got some before pics, but didn't have the time to try out the muratic acid straight. With the time change, I have a lot more time after work. I will try and get to it tonight or tomorrow and see what happens.
 
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