Clean It Up

UK General Cleaning Forum => General Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: steve_doyle on September 22, 2008, 10:34:25 pm

Title: fertilizer staining
Post by: steve_doyle on September 22, 2008, 10:34:25 pm
Hello all,

Had a customer who has poor drainage and his garden slopes towards his block paved drive. Problem is even in the summer (dont laugh!!) when it can be dry for 5/6/7 days his block is still wet in 3 places. These areas have turned bronze/brown/orange and i believe it to be from the fertilizer on his own garden or the farm land directly behind his house.

So i have heard people talk about removing rust stains before but guess thats for small areas, these are 1 meter wide and 2 long each (x3).

Any ideas? i have washed it but obviously it had minimal effect.

cheers
steve
Title: Re: fertilizer staining
Post by: Roger Oakley on September 23, 2008, 03:35:26 pm
Steve,
Fertilizer staining can be a pain. You are going to need an acid either Oxalic or Citric, but the downside is thay can stain/brighten the pavers, using either of these two is ok on regular concrete (like a concrete pad etc) but you would need to do the whole area, you cannot spot clean. I would be very careful on block paving as you could dis-colour them, and it is not easy to reverse the damage.
Don't bleach the area as this can set the fertilizer staining even more.

Tensid do a ferrous stain remover which might be what you need.

Seeing as this is Block paving you could try Phoshoric acid either neat or try an aluminium cleaner as most have a content of phoshoric in them.
But if this is run-off from the farm land it could be an on going problem?
Title: Re: fertilizer staining
Post by: steve_doyle on September 23, 2008, 08:29:12 pm
thanks Roger,

Plenty to go at their!!! Will start with the tensid.

Cheers
Steve