Cleaning old teracotta foor tiles

[Kat]

We have 100's of old terracotta floor tiles from an old farmhouse kitchen that need cleaning up. Mostly old mortar and general grime. Has anyone ever done this? Any suggestions?

Thanks

[Emil Tiades]

Karcher. Do it in the nude or with a diving suit, as you'll be covered in s**te

[Kat]

Interesting thought - may be I will wait for the warmer weather!

[dom]

Yup. Correct approach. Also check out what reclamation yards are charging for these - you might not treat them too casually!

[Kat]

Ok thanks I will give it a go and see what happens.

Re cost we bought the lot on ebay for =A356 having been quoted =A3600+ from a yard!

[dom]

Pretty much the same as me then - salvage yard quoted me =A33/tile or some such rubbish - go home, ebay it, =A336 for 80+ tiles.

[Andy Dingley]

Dunk in a plastic tub of hydrochloric acid ("brick acid") which is cheap from a builders' merchant and not too hazardous to work with. This will shift most things that resemble "mortar".

Then it's time for the pressure washer and the nylon bristled hand wire brush.

Jeyes fluid can be good for dealing with green algal crud.

A coat of Lithofin can improve surfaces that have become a mite rough and porous.

[The Medway Handyman]

Possible, but it depends on the contamination. Old mortar & general grime sugests a brick acid - Disclean or similar. Try one or two first :-)

[mark]

Get a couple of plastic washing up bowls and fill with the tiles. Fill with brick acid/cleaner and leave for 24 hrs. Take them out, give them a scrub an a rinse and they'll be as good as they are going to be. I have done it with pamments (9" by (2 by 2" tiles).

mark

[meow2222]

A very long soak (several days) in lukewarm bio washing powder solution is probably the most powerful general purpose cleaner about. So if your acid doesnt get them clean enough, that may do the rest, if slowly.

NT

[A.Clews]

Thus spake Kat ( [e-mail]) unto the assembled multitudes:

You could make yourself a mint selling tickets on ebay if you decide to do the job naked. ;-)

[George]

Aye,and he could also lose his best mate if he wasn't careful with the power washer. ;-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Dump in brick acid and scrub.