Barb presented the following explanation :
Hi, I've got some horrendous rust stains on flagstones, from old cast iron
pation furniture.

What's the best way of cleaning these? Can it be done? I've tried all sorts
of the usual things and nothing really seems to work ...

Thanks.

Barb

Hi Barb,how about just turn the flags over?

--
Regards From
Wane Smooth

Help feed the Hungry,goto
http://www.thehungersite.com
It's Free!

On Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:03:44 GMT, Wane Smooth
wrote and included this (or some of
this):

Barb presented the following explanation :
Hi, I've got some horrendous rust stains on flagstones, from old cast iron
pation furniture.

What's the best way of cleaning these? Can it be done? I've tried all sorts
of the usual things and nothing really seems to work ...

Thanks.

Barb

Hi Barb,how about just turn the flags over?

Many times, ye backs are far rougherer than the fruntz


--
®óñ© © ²°¹°-°³

Barb wrote:...

and whiskers on kittens,

on 06/08/2007, Martin supposed :
On Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:03:44 GMT, Wane Smooth
wrote:

Barb presented the following explanation :
Hi, I've got some horrendous rust stains on flagstones, from old cast iron
pation furniture.

What's the best way of cleaning these? Can it be done? I've tried all
sorts of the usual things and nothing really seems to work ...

Thanks.

Barb

Hi Barb,how about just turn the flags over?

Smart arse! -)

I try. ;o)

--
Regards From
Wane Smooth

Help feed the Hungry,goto
http://www.thehungersite.com
It's Free!

Thanks folks! Lots of suggestions - although turning them over is not
feasible.

I like the Steradent one, Mike, I have some in my cabinet and I'll try it
today.

Barb



"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:52:00 +0100, Derek Turner
wrote:

Barb wrote:...

and whiskers on kittens,

Brown paper packages tied up with strings
--

Martin

In reply to Martin ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

On Mon, 06 Aug 2007 18:02:24 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

On 6/8/07 17:58, in article
, "Martin"
wrote:

On Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:42:47 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

On 6/8/07 14:44, in article ,
"Barb" wrote:

Hi, I've got some horrendous rust stains on flagstones, from old
cast iron pation furniture.

What's the best way of cleaning these? Can it be done? I've
tried all sorts of the usual things and nothing really seems to
work ...

Thanks.


I've forwarded this to Cormaic to see if he has any ideas and/or
time to tell us!

There is a chemical that will remove rust stains, people use it on
GRP boats. Oxalic acid. It is toxic,

Do you know how far it will penetrate, Martin, if these stains have
gone deeply into the flags? I think Barb has to be careful what she
does according to what kind of stone these are made from.

No. I have never used it. I avoid nasty chemicals.
Proprietary rust stain removers often contain oxalic acid.
Some toilet cleaners contain oxalic acid.

Rhubard leaves contain oxalic acid. You could try those :-)

Acetic acid is just as effective (vinegar). I imagine borax would do the
trick too, but will take long.

"Barb" wrote in message
...
Thanks folks! Lots of suggestions - although turning them over is not
feasible.

I like the Steradent one, Mike, I have some in my cabinet and I'll try it
today.

Barb


Only a very few poor souls find me stupid :-))

Mike



--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will have a Stand

My patio slabs are quite black after about 25 years of being down, last autumn a large bag of potting compost fell over and didn't get picked up until the spring, the slabs underneath it were a pristine very light grey colour virtually the same as when they were originally laid.

Nope, the Steradent didn't work, Mike. Worth a try though. Just went to
Halfords, in passing, and they didn't have anything.

Just tried some vinegar and a bit of elbow grease on one spot with a brush,
and it's shifted some of it, probably the stuff on the surface. And it's
left a nice really, really clean ring round it!!!! Can't win.

I might experiment with the vinegar over a wider area, actually. It's cheap
enough and not nasty.

Barb



"'Mike'" wrote in message
...


"Barb" wrote in message
...
Thanks folks! Lots of suggestions - although turning them over is not
feasible.

I like the Steradent one, Mike, I have some in my cabinet and I'll try it
today.

Barb


Only a very few poor souls find me stupid :-))

Mike



--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will have a
Stand

"Barb" wrote in message
...
Nope, the Steradent didn't work, Mike. Worth a try though. Just went to
Halfords, in passing, and they didn't have anything.

Oh dear :-(( So sorry. I do know it works on many things, besides teeth :-)
Like pottery and I believe delicate Silver and Gold items.

I would say that it is the rust which is the problem with regards to
removing it. You need a chemical which eats rust. Perhaps a Ship or Boat
Chandler?

Kind regards


Mike


--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will have a Stand

"Barb" wrote in message
...
Nope, the Steradent didn't work, Mike. Worth a try though. Just went to
Halfords, in passing, and they didn't have anything.

Just tried some vinegar and a bit of elbow grease on one spot with a
brush, and it's shifted some of it, probably the stuff on the surface.
And it's left a nice really, really clean ring round it!!!! Can't win.

I might experiment with the vinegar over a wider area, actually. It's
cheap enough and not nasty.

You need to soak it. Use some old rags and soak the vinegar in them, then
put it on the whole flag, so it won't make one bit look better :-)

You can buy vinegar wholesale. Get thewhite stuff if you can.

HTH

On 8/8/07 12:26, in article ,
"Barb" wrote:

Nope, the Steradent didn't work, Mike. Worth a try though. Just went to
Halfords, in passing, and they didn't have anything.

Just tried some vinegar and a bit of elbow grease on one spot with a brush,
and it's shifted some of it, probably the stuff on the surface. And it's
left a nice really, really clean ring round it!!!! Can't win.

I might experiment with the vinegar over a wider area, actually. It's cheap
enough and not nasty.

Barb
snip

I can't think why I didn't think of this before! Here's the relevant
section from Cormaic's page with all the gen:

Removing rust stains
Rust stains arise from water running over metal fixtures and fittings then
depositing iron particles on the paving and/or from the oxidation (rusting)
of iron-rich compounds in the aggregate of the paving. There's also a danger
of accidental staining when weed- and mosskillers containing ferric sulphate
are applied to lawns and gardens next to paths, patios and driveways.
Rust stains are probably the most difficult to remove from most types of
paving. Many of the dyes used to colour concrete paving are based on iron
oxides, so many chemical agent may affect both the rust and the dyes. The
'patio cleaners' sold at the DIY sheds are based on a hydrochloric acid, and
these usually have no effect on rust, although the stronger acid dilutions
can sometimes make the stains darker.
Due to enormous differences in the type, nature and porosity of any
substrate, there are a number of possible 'solutions' that may work. It
should be noted that just because a particular 'solution' works well on, say
yorkstone flags, that does not mean that it will work on imported stone, or
on concrete flags. Similarly, any particular solution may have different
effects on wet-cast and pressed concrete flags. Whatever is used, it's best
to try it out in a small, discreet area first, as it's impossible to predict
just how any of these will react with any given stone or concrete.
€ Lemon Juice - genuine lemon juice, fresh from a lemon, not from a
bottle or a plastic imitation lemon. Squeeze directly onto the stained area,
allow it to react for 5 minutes or so but don't allow it to dry out. While
still wet, scrub the stained area with a nylon/polypropylene bristled brush
(an old toothbrush is ideal), working the lemon juice into the surface of
the paving. Wash off with plenty of clean water after 5 minutes and repeat
as necessary.
€
€ Vinegar - use a clear or white vinegar (spirt vinegar) rather than
a coloured vinegar (malt or balsamic). Some readers of this site have
reported that cider vinegar gives good results on some concrete surfaces.
Use in exactly the same way as described above.
€
€ Oxalic Acid - nasty stuff, as it's highly toxic, and it's not easy
to find. It's more commonly used in the woodworking trades to bleach or
whiten wood, but it is quite effective at removing heavier rust stains from
concrete and some types of stone. It may come as a proprietary "rust
remover" in which case you should follow the manufacturer's instructions to
the letter. The efficacy of these products is highly variable and they MUST
be tested on an inconspicuous area prior to use to ensure that the paving is
not damaged or discoloured by their use.
General purpose concrete cleaners may also help to remove rust stains, but
again, they are incredibly variable in effect, and it might be as well to
use just a simple detergent and hot water.
All this leaves mechanical action as the only non-chemical remedy; vigorous
scrubbing with a wire brush can sometimes remove the worst of the staining,
as can 'buffing', a process where a hard stone or abrasive is used to 'sand
down' the surface of the paving, removing the rust, and revealing a clean
surface beneath.
As ever, prevention is better than cure. Although rust staining does not
pose a threat to the structural integrity of the paving in the way that oils
do to tarmac, it can be unsightly and detract from the aesthetics. Removal
of rust sources and/or use of drip trays will keep most of the stains off
the pavement. If using a mosskiller, then ensure any adjacent concrete
surfaces are covered and protected.
http://www.pavingexpert.com/stains.htm

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 8/8/07 12:26, in article ,
"Barb" wrote:

I can't think why I didn't think of this before! Here's the relevant
section from Cormaic's page with all the gen:

[snip]

Vinegar is still the best. Lemon juice can be changed for Citric Acid (from
the chemists and elsewhere in powder form) but costs more. Vinegar is the
cheapest by far if you buy it by the gallon. Try a local chippie (fish and
chip shop, not carpenter's) who might sell you a catering bottle, but
probably won't have the clear stuff. Malt vinegar shouldn't stain the flags
enough that a Karcher won't get the remainder off but it depends what the
flags are made of, ie what cheap and nasty filling they used to cheapen them
:-).

Substitute "Karcher" for "hard work" in the rest :-)

This works. I have done it, many times. And will do it many times more.

Thanks Sacha!
It's worth "going for it" with vinegar, then. The area isn't too big, just
where a cast iron table and chairs stood. Not the first time I've been
down on me knees with a scrubbing brush....!!!

Thanks again for your suggestions folks.

Barb


"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:02:02 +0100, Sacha

wrote:

¤ Oxalic Acid - nasty stuff, as it's highly toxic, and it's not
easy
to find. It's more commonly used in the woodworking trades to bleach or
whiten wood, but it is quite effective at removing heavier rust stains
from
concrete and some types of stone. It may come as a proprietary "rust
remover" in which case you should follow the manufacturer's instructions
to
the letter. The efficacy of these products is highly variable and they
MUST
be tested on an inconspicuous area prior to use to ensure that the paving
is
not damaged or discoloured by their use.


and on the plus side it doesn't leave your patio smelling like a fish and
chip
shop.
--

Martin