Hydrofluoric Acid Precautions for Wall Cleaning

[APW]

My white panel walls will no longer come clean with the standard wall cleaner but I am scared to let the guy use it. Does anyone use it and if so what kind of suit, respirator, ect. do you use?

 

[DiamondWash]

What's this "Standard Wall Cleaner" you speak of?

 

[APW]

F.W.C. by Quest chemicals. It is a muriatic based formula.

 

[MEP001]

F.W.C. by Quest chemicals. It is a muriatic based formula.

That's what you use now, and you want to know safety precautions to take if you switch to a hydrofluoric cleaner?

 

[APW]

Yes. I really wanted specifics if anybody had a certain suit or respirator they wear.

 

[mac]

Yes. I really wanted specifics if anybody had a certain suit or respirator they wear.

Great get a respirator designed to filter out acids. Grainger has them, and make sure it is a full face mask. Next get a good full rain suit and acid proof gloves. For applicators I resorted to the cheap weed sprayers for application. Even the so-called good ones the seals are done after one use so get the cheap ones. The longer the wand the better. I usually use Nuwall Cleaner. When ready To spray it’s best to have a helper there. They need to make sure no customers walk by, and should have a safety fresh water hose. Next make real sure it is not a windy day. if the walls are real bad I use full strength. If not soo bad cut it 50%. With water. Start spraying from the bottom in a back and forth motion, about 6 feet wide, and work your way up. I usually did one wall to a bay and then came back with a pressure washer, not your bay hose. Do not let it dry on the wall and it works best if applied to a dry wall. 5 gallons will do a six bay easily. It is easy to miss parts of a wall so go slow and be methodical. Be careful of fixtures that don’t like acid, like lights. Stainless fixtures and aluminum will look nicer too.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

came back with a pressure washer, not your bay hose.

Why not the bay hose?

 

[Randy]

We wear a rain suit, black rubber gloves and rubber boots. We wear a mask suited for mists. We mix the Nu-wall with foam brush soap added and apply it in a foam cannon so it comes out like shaving cream, this way it does mist up. 2 guys one spraying it on the walls and another back brushing the wall with a stiff brush on a pole. We rinse the walls off with the bay gun. We do the walls at night or early in the morning when no customers are around. It takes us about an hour to do a 6 bays car wash. It your careful and have respect for the chemical your using you shouldn't have a problem. I've seen people cleaning bay walls in shorts, tennis shoes and no gloves, when I pointed out how dangerous the chemical is they look at like I have alligators climbing out my ears. They have no clue. Those who get hurt by HF have no clue as to how dangerous it can be. The sad part is there employer/manager does know much about the dangers of HF and they tell thier emplyees to go out and use this product to clean the with little or no training or safety equipment. Used properly it's a great product.

 

[mac]

Why not the bay hose?

Your bay works around 12 to 1400 psi Good pressure washers are at least 3000 psi. Better cleaning and allows to person to stand further back reducing back splash. Have done it with the bay hose and that will work if it's all you got.

 

[Greg Pack]

OK, I'll say it. I don't do it on windy days. And when I do, I stand upwind and wear rubber gloves. That's about it. I don't recommend that and I'll probably die of ass cancer, but that's what I do.

 

[MEP001]

OK, I'll say it. I don't do it on windy days. And when I do, I stand upwind and wear rubber gloves. That's about it. I don't recommend that and I'll probably die of ass cancer, but that's what I do.

Same, except I brush it on. Practically no fumes that way, and I keep the bay running so if I feel a drop on me I rinse it off immediately.

 

[Waxman]

OK, I'll say it. I don't do it on windy days. And when I do, I stand upwind and wear rubber gloves. That's about it. I don't recommend that and I'll probably die of ass cancer, but that's what I do.

You're spraying it near your A$$????????????????????

 

[mac]

We wear a rain suit, black rubber gloves and rubber boots. We wear a mask suited for mists. We mix the Nu-wall with foam brush soap added and apply it in a foam cannon so it comes out like shaving cream, this way it does mist up. 2 guys one spraying it on the walls and another back brushing the wall with a stiff brush on a pole. We rinse the walls off with the bay gun. We do the walls at night or early in the morning when no customers are around. It takes us about an hour to do a 6 bays car wash. It your careful and have respect for the chemical your using you shouldn't have a problem. I've seen people cleaning bay walls in shorts, tennis shoes and no gloves, when I pointed out how dangerous the chemical is they look at like I have alligators climbing out my ears. They have no clue. Those who get hurt by HF have no clue as to how dangerous it can be. The sad part is there employer/manager does know much about the dangers of HF and they tell thier emplyees to go out and use this product to clean the with little or no training or safety equipment. Used properly it's a great product.

Randy I like the foam cannon part. Do you use the small hand held ones or the big serious ones? Just before I sold my business I was using a 30 gallon foamer that had seals designed to handle really bad chemicals. It worked great but cost around a grand. Bought it to apply chemicals for truck washing.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

You're spraying it near your A$$????????????????????

Often, he's been told to blow it out his...never mind.