Tarnished Stainless Steel with Muriatic Acid! Please help!

A. I reckon you have a problem. The chances of getting the appliance back to the original brushes state is minimal, but you may be able to find a brushing company who can do it in your home. If not, try the manufacturer. Muriatic acid is better known as hydrochloric acid and will attack most metals, causing pitting and unsightly stains. This is because it contains the chloride ion, that readily corrodes most metals.

A. Not an uncommon problem, but a severe one. There is no simple way to correct the problem. Some of our customers have found good success in using Scotchbrite cloth, being very careful to brush ONLY in the direction of the grain of the brushed steel. You will probably still have to go over the entire surface to make it uniform. DO NOT use steel wool or any other iron containing material.

A. Hi, Marco. Yes, the acid fumes are responsible. Muriatic acid is not really a liquid, it is a gas dissolved in water, and comes out of the liquid, the more so when splashed and agitated. Unfortunately, no, the appliances probably can't be properly repaired. Assuming you fixed the finish, imagine the condition of the wiring terminals and contacts and so on.

I am only an amateur tiler, not a professional. But I know that the acid is a time-saver but an unnecessary one: rather, the grout and all haze should be wiped up before it dries (even though this takes seemingly endless rinsing of the sponges and dumping & refilling the bucket). Good luck.

Regards,