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#1
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Oxalic acid
I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the
cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? |
#2
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Oxalic acid
higgledy wrote: I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? My experience (and by the smell), is that they are nothing more than sodium hyprchlorite -- simple BLEACH. Just use that. I've used it in both as a spray with my power washer (best strategy), or with a bonnet scubber (for carpets). The issue is killing the algae off. I have found that once a year does the trick nicely. The power washer (Karcher) is the best investment I've ever made. Useful for all sorts of heavy cleaning jobs. |
#3
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Oxalic acid
"higgledy" wrote in message oups.com... I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? I used pool shock to clean mine worked better than the deck cleaner I bought. But it did stink. I threw a bag in a 5 gal. bucket used a broom to ably it, scrubbed it in, let it soak then hosed it off. |
#4
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Oxalic acid
higgledy writes:
I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? Paint store, or paint dept at Home Depot or Lowes. Toxic stuff, so read and heed the warnings. Entirely different mode of action from chlorine bleach others are suggesting. |
#5
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Oxalic acid
Your response is totally wrong. Just Google "Oxalic Acid" and you
will see the difference from bleach. professorpaul wrote: higgledy wrote: I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? My experience (and by the smell), is that they are nothing more than sodium hyprchlorite -- simple BLEACH. Just use that. I've used it in both as a spray with my power washer (best strategy), or with a bonnet scubber (for carpets). The issue is killing the algae off. I have found that once a year does the trick nicely. The power washer (Karcher) is the best investment I've ever made. Useful for all sorts of heavy cleaning jobs. |
#6
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Oxalic acid
higgledy wrote: I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? Oxalic acid is a wood bleach and is toxic-posinios. Requires special handling. I would not recommend it. Go to a paint store they will carry a cleaner which I believe is called Tri-sodium Sulphate or phosphate. They will know which. It is an exellent cleaner. |
#7
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Oxalic acid
TSP was for many years the standard high octane cleaner. It worked
fine. But then the environmentalists decided it might be harmful and it was removed from the market. Oxalic acid is not as dangerous as the posters stated. It is the active ingredient in "Bartenders' Friend" and "Stainless Steel Cleaner" (spray). I use the latter to clean the permanganate ring on my toilets. wrote: higgledy wrote: I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? Oxalic acid is a wood bleach and is toxic-posinios. Requires special handling. I would not recommend it. Go to a paint store they will carry a cleaner which I believe is called Tri-sodium Sulphate or phosphate. They will know which. It is an exellent cleaner. |
#8
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Oxalic acid
On 6/9/06 4:05 PM, in article ,
"Richard J Kinch" wrote: higgledy writes: I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? Paint store, or paint dept at Home Depot or Lowes. Toxic stuff, so read and heed the warnings. Entirely different mode of action from chlorine bleach others are suggesting. IIRC from my youth, there was a product called okite or okonite or something like that that was primarily oxalic acid. It is found in rhubarb. You can taste it. The leaves are trimmed in stores to get rid of most of it. It is what used to be a common chemical. With the DEA, liability problems, and the general momma knows best Government, it is more difficult to get such chemicals. Bill -- Ferme le Bush |
#9
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Oxalic acid
You may also be able to get it at a drugstore. Oxalic acid can be run
through your dishwasher to remove discoloration. |
#10
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Oxalic acid
Stubby wrote:
TSP was for many years the standard high octane cleaner. It worked fine. But then the environmentalists decided it might be harmful and it was removed from the market. You might want to tell Home Depot that. Oxalic acid is not as dangerous as the posters stated. It is the active ingredient in "Bartenders' Friend" and "Stainless Steel Cleaner" (spray). I use the latter to clean the permanganate ring on my toilets. wrote: higgledy wrote: I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? Oxalic acid is a wood bleach and is toxic-posinios. Requires special handling. I would not recommend it. Go to a paint store they will carry a cleaner which I believe is called Tri-sodium Sulphate or phosphate. They will know which. It is an exellent cleaner. -- --John to email, dial "usenet" and validate (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net) |
#11
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Oxalic acid
Stubby:
They did the same thing with clear kreosoot, used to preserve wood before painting. It was bad for the environment so they replaced it with vinyl wood. Makes sense, uh? Stubby wrote: TSP was for many years the standard high octane cleaner. It worked fine. But then the environmentalists decided it might be harmful and it was removed from the market. Oxalic acid is not as dangerous as the posters stated. It is the active ingredient in "Bartenders' Friend" and "Stainless Steel Cleaner" (spray). I use the latter to clean the permanganate ring on my toilets. wrote: higgledy wrote: I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? Oxalic acid is a wood bleach and is toxic-posinios. Requires special handling. I would not recommend it. Go to a paint store they will carry a cleaner which I believe is called Tri-sodium Sulphate or phosphate. They will know which. It is an exellent cleaner. |
#12
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Oxalic acid
I swear HD, Wal-Mart, and the like remove such basic cleaners only so
they can sell higher priced branded cleaners. In fact, I bet retailers are part of the environmental lobby in DC. J. Clarke wrote: Stubby wrote: TSP was for many years the standard high octane cleaner. It worked fine. But then the environmentalists decided it might be harmful and it was removed from the market. You might want to tell Home Depot that. Oxalic acid is not as dangerous as the posters stated. It is the active ingredient in "Bartenders' Friend" and "Stainless Steel Cleaner" (spray). I use the latter to clean the permanganate ring on my toilets. wrote: higgledy wrote: I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? Oxalic acid is a wood bleach and is toxic-posinios. Requires special handling. I would not recommend it. Go to a paint store they will carry a cleaner which I believe is called Tri-sodium Sulphate or phosphate. They will know which. It is an exellent cleaner. -- --John to email, dial "usenet" and validate (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net) |
#13
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Oxalic acid
"J. Clarke" wrote in message ... Stubby wrote: TSP was for many years the standard high octane cleaner. It worked fine. But then the environmentalists decided it might be harmful and it was removed from the market. You might want to tell Home Depot that. I just bought a box of TSP about 3 days ago from Lowes. |
#14
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Oxalic acid
Ralph Mowery wrote:
"J. Clarke" wrote in message ... Stubby wrote: TSP was for many years the standard high octane cleaner. It worked fine. But then the environmentalists decided it might be harmful and it was removed from the market. You might want to tell Home Depot that. I just bought a box of TSP about 3 days ago from Lowes. Are you sure that's what you bought? There seem to be a number of products that say in big letters "T.S.P." and then in very small letters "substitute". Might want to check to be sure. Pete C. |
#15
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Oxalic acid
Pete C. wrote:
Ralph Mowery wrote: "J. Clarke" wrote in message ... Stubby wrote: TSP was for many years the standard high octane cleaner. It worked fine. But then the environmentalists decided it might be harmful and it was removed from the market. You might want to tell Home Depot that. I just bought a box of TSP about 3 days ago from Lowes. Are you sure that's what you bought? There seem to be a number of products that say in big letters "T.S.P." and then in very small letters "substitute". Might want to check to be sure. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001IKY7A/104-0470435-5525517?v=glance&n=228013 Now it might be that you live in the People's Republic of Leftcoastia or some other workers' paradise in which trisodium phosphate is banned, but that doesn't mean that the rest of us who live in the real world are so unfortunate. Pete C. -- --John to email, dial "usenet" and validate (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net) |
#16
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Oxalic acid
higgledy wrote: I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? Oxalic acid is for cleaning cedar and redwood decks, not treated pine. For treated pine, the standard chemical used to be sodium hypochlorite (common household bleach). Many people still use that, but a lot of experts are starting to recommend against it, because the chlorine can damage the wood. It attacks the lignin in the wood and weakens the wood surface structure. A lot of the home improvement gurus now recommend sodium percarbonate, which when added to water turns into hydrogen peroxide (oxygen bleach) and sodium carbonate (washing soda - remember the old Arm and Hammer washing soda that you used to be able to buy in the laundry aisle?). The combination is an effective deck cleaner and brightener which does not damage the wood and is very safe to use. You can buy 2-pound jars of pure sodium percarbonate at thechemistrystore.com for about two bucks a pound, plus shipping. Or you can buy a bucket of "Oxy Clean" at the supermarket - it's the same thing except its not 100% sodium percarbonate - it contains a large percentage of sodium carbonate filler which is a less expensive chemical. You can also buy a bucket of Tri Sodium Phosphate (TSP) and throw a couple of ounces it in a bucket of warm water together with some household bleach to create a very effective deck cleaning solution, if you don't believe the warnings about using chlorine-based bleaches on wood. You can also buy a bucket of oxalic acid there too. Please note that oxalic acid IS a toxin to humans. It can be absorbed through the skin. Use with care. |
#17
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Oxalic acid
Easier solution, use dish washer detergent and add some bleach if you want.
"higgledy" wrote in message oups.com... I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? |
#18
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Oxalic acid
Salmon Egg writes:
It is what used to be a common chemical. With the DEA, liability problems, and the general momma knows best Government, it is more difficult to get such chemicals. Difficult? I would say easier than ever. It's on the shelf at the retailers I mentioned. The labeling of common chemicals with brand names that try to hide what is in the product is more of a reason that things like oxalic acid *appear* to have disappeared. You won't find a package of MSG in the grocery store, but you will find Accent. |
#19
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Oxalic acid
In article .com, "Ether Jones" wrote:
A lot of the home improvement gurus now recommend sodium percarbonate, which when added to water turns into hydrogen peroxide (oxygen bleach) and sodium carbonate (washing soda - remember the old Arm and Hammer washing soda that you used to be able to buy in the laundry aisle?). The combination is an effective deck cleaner and brightener which does not damage the wood and is very safe to use. Why not just buy hydrogen peroxide and washing soda, and mix them? They're both readily available, cheap as dirt, and bound to be less expensive and easier to find than sodium percarbonate. If you only "used to" be able to buy washing soda in the laundry aisle, either you're shopping in the wrong stores (e.g. Wal-Mart), or you're not looking very hard. I don't have any trouble at all finding washing soda in the laundry aisle of my neighborhood Kroger grocery store. -- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com) It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again. |
#20
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Oxalic acid
On 9 Jun 2006 15:44:11 -0700, "higgledy" wrote:
I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? Any sail boats in your area? Oxalic acid was (if it still is not) the bleaching agent of choice among sialboat owners for cleaning their sails... When I lived in the Annapolis area of Maryland every Drugstore sold it and every marina had it in stock in many sizes... Drugstores should be able to order it for you in any part of the country... Also works well on convertible vinyl tops...you just have to have the hose ready...LOL Bob G. |
#21
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Oxalic acid
Doug Miller wrote: Why not just buy hydrogen peroxide and washing soda, and mix them? Sure. The result would be the same. They're both readily available, cheap as dirt, and bound to be less expensive When you say hydrogen peroxide is "readily available" and "cheap as dirt" I of course think of those brown plastic 16oz bottles they sell everywhere, from WalMart to Walgreens. There are two problems: 1) That's only a 3% solution. You would have to use it full strength. So, not sure it would much cheaper, if at all. 2) The reason it's in a brown plastic bottle is that it's unstable. Has a short shelf life. The powdered sodium percarbonate keeps much longer, as long as you keep the lid on it to keep the moisture out. You can buy much stronger hydrogen peroxide at some pool and spa supply stores, but it's expensive - and at high concentrations is somewhat dangerous to handle. and easier to find than sodium percarbonate. Sodium percarbonate is easy to find. It's the active ingredient in OxyClean and other oxygen-based cleaners which line the supermarket shelves (but as I said, those products contain a lot of filler - they are not 100% sodium percarbonate). Most pool and spa stores carry "oxygen shock" which is sodium percarbonate. Many mail-order places sell it. Type the words "oxygen" and "deck" and "bleach" into your internet search engine, and you'll get hundreds of hits. If you only "used to" be able to buy washing soda in the laundry aisle, either you're shopping in the wrong stores (e.g. Wal-Mart), or you're not looking very hard. I don't have any trouble at all finding washing soda in the laundry aisle of my neighborhood Kroger grocery store. WalMart and Meijer used to carry it in their laundry products aisle but they no longer do. I also checked two or three other chain stores and they don't carry it either. Haven't checked Kroger yet - but I will. While I'm there, I'll also look for "20 mule team Borax" which WalMart also stopped stocking (I've had good results using a Borax and vinegar solution for spraying on treated pine and vinyl siding to prevent/destroy mildew and algae). Speaking of WalMart, is it just my wild imagination, or do I sense a slight change in their business model? Besides Arm and Hammer Washing Soda and 20 Mule Team Borax, there are other low-volume products I have seen disappear from their shelves recently. In the past, I had the impression they wanted to be all things to all people. Now lately I seem to perceive a trend to eliminate some of the low-volume stuff. They may save a nickel in the near term, but people may start to re-discover other stores. That may be a good thing. |
#22
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Oxalic acid
Ether Jones wrote:
Doug Miller wrote: Why not just buy hydrogen peroxide and washing soda, and mix them? Sure. The result would be the same. They're both readily available, cheap as dirt, and bound to be less expensive When you say hydrogen peroxide is "readily available" and "cheap as dirt" I of course think of those brown plastic 16oz bottles they sell everywhere, from WalMart to Walgreens. There are two problems: 1) That's only a 3% solution. You would have to use it full strength. So, not sure it would much cheaper, if at all. 2) The reason it's in a brown plastic bottle is that it's unstable. Has a short shelf life. The powdered sodium percarbonate keeps much longer, as long as you keep the lid on it to keep the moisture out. You can buy much stronger hydrogen peroxide at some pool and spa supply stores, but it's expensive - and at high concentrations is somewhat dangerous to handle. and easier to find than sodium percarbonate. Sodium percarbonate is easy to find. It's the active ingredient in OxyClean and other oxygen-based cleaners which line the supermarket shelves (but as I said, those products contain a lot of filler - they are not 100% sodium percarbonate). Most pool and spa stores carry "oxygen shock" which is sodium percarbonate. Many mail-order places sell it. Type the words "oxygen" and "deck" and "bleach" into your internet search engine, and you'll get hundreds of hits. If you only "used to" be able to buy washing soda in the laundry aisle, either you're shopping in the wrong stores (e.g. Wal-Mart), or you're not looking very hard. I don't have any trouble at all finding washing soda in the laundry aisle of my neighborhood Kroger grocery store. WalMart and Meijer used to carry it in their laundry products aisle but they no longer do. I also checked two or three other chain stores and they don't carry it either. Haven't checked Kroger yet - but I will. While I'm there, I'll also look for "20 mule team Borax" which WalMart also stopped stocking (I've had good results using a Borax and vinegar solution for spraying on treated pine and vinyl siding to prevent/destroy mildew and algae). Speaking of WalMart, is it just my wild imagination, or do I sense a slight change in their business model? Besides Arm and Hammer Washing Soda and 20 Mule Team Borax, there are other low-volume products I have seen disappear from their shelves recently. In the past, I had the impression they wanted to be all things to all people. Now lately I seem to perceive a trend to eliminate some of the low-volume stuff. They may save a nickel in the near term, but people may start to re-discover other stores. That may be a good thing. What other stores? Mal Wart ran them out of business. Pete C. |
#23
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Oxalic acid
Stubby wrote: Oxalic acid is not as dangerous as the posters stated How dangerous do you think it is, then? Type the words "oxalic acid" and "poisonous" into your search engine, read the articles, and judge for yourself. |
#24
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Oxalic acid
On 6/9/06 10:32 PM, in article ,
"Richard J Kinch" wrote: Salmon Egg writes: It is what used to be a common chemical. With the DEA, liability problems, and the general momma knows best Government, it is more difficult to get such chemicals. Difficult? I would say easier than ever. It's on the shelf at the retailers I mentioned. The labeling of common chemicals with brand names that try to hide what is in the product is more of a reason that things like oxalic acid *appear* to have disappeared. You won't find a package of MSG in the grocery store, but you will find Accent. I do not deny that there are many chemicals out there disguised as home products. You just need to know what is what. For example, concentrated sulfuric acid is available as drain cleaner at most hardware stores. As a chemical from a scientific supply house, it is almost impossible to buy. Aside from charging a lot. In addition to ordinary shipping costs, firms like UPS charges an extra $25 hazardous shipping costs. Even so, a company Wilkem Scientific would not ship chemicals to me personally because of liabilty. I was able to get a particular pH meter from Wilkem not available from other suppliers because of DEA restrictions. Bill -- Ferme le Bush |
#25
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Oxalic acid
Ralph Mowery wrote:
"J. Clarke" wrote in message ... Stubby wrote: TSP was for many years the standard high octane cleaner. It worked fine. But then the environmentalists decided it might be harmful and it was removed from the market. You might want to tell Home Depot that. I just bought a box of TSP about 3 days ago from Lowes. Of course! It was never removed from the market, but the amount of phosphate was reduced or eliminated in many products a with concern for increasing algae growth in many water ways. Lowes, here, ran out at the time I needed some, so they order some for me. Luckly I checked at a local paint store and bought the same size box for about $1 less. |
#26
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Oxalic acid
Pete C. wrote:
Ralph Mowery wrote: "J. Clarke" wrote in message ... Stubby wrote: TSP was for many years the standard high octane cleaner. It worked fine. But then the environmentalists decided it might be harmful and it was removed from the market. You might want to tell Home Depot that. I just bought a box of TSP about 3 days ago from Lowes. Are you sure that's what you bought? There seem to be a number of products that say in big letters "T.S.P." and then in very small letters "substitute". Might want to check to be sure. Pete C. Yep you can get sucked into buying the silicate product if you don't carefully read the box. Personally I think it is fraud to call the silicate product TSP, design the box to look like the actual TSP product, and then put "substitute" in small letter. But, actual TSP is still sold. OTOH, the silicate product (substitute TSP) washes off more easily than TSP, but it also clean a little less well than TSP. Take you choice. |
#27
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Oxalic acid
"Pete C." wrote in message ... Ralph Mowery wrote: "J. Clarke" wrote in message ... Stubby wrote: TSP was for many years the standard high octane cleaner. It worked fine. But then the environmentalists decided it might be harmful and it was removed from the market. You might want to tell Home Depot that. I just bought a box of TSP about 3 days ago from Lowes. Are you sure that's what you bought? There seem to be a number of products that say in big letters "T.S.P." and then in very small letters "substitute". Might want to check to be sure. I checked it today and no where on it could I see anything to indicate it was not the real TSP. |
#28
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Oxalic acid
On 9 Jun 2006 15:44:11 -0700, "higgledy" wrote:
I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? If you want acid, you need to find a drug dealer. Be aware this is an illegal drug. Once you get the acid, drop a few hits, wait till you get off, then enjoy cleaning your dick. |
#29
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Oxalic acid
higgledy wrote:
Don Hard wrote: On 9 Jun 2006 15:44:11 -0700, "higgledy" wrote: I have read that deck cleaners are basically Oxalic acid. Being the cheap-skate that I am does anyone know where can I buy Oxalic acid to clean my deck? If you want acid, you need to find a drug dealer. Be aware this is an illegal drug. Once you get the acid, drop a few hits, wait till you get off, then enjoy cleaning your dick. This varies by state. Have some coffee and read that post again. -- --John to email, dial "usenet" and validate (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net) |
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