Question:  We have iron in our water which leave stains in our tub, toilet, and sink. Does your all purpose cleaner remove these stains? What do you recommend?

In order to remove iron stains, an acid is needed. The NEU all purpose cleaner is neutral, and not acid, so it probably will not work well. It may remove some of the loose iron particulates, but will not remove all of the stains.

There are commercial products designed for this purpose, but they tend to be really strong acids (nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric, muriatic, sulfamic) with noxious fumes. If used with the proper safety equipment and ventilation, many of these commercial products should remove those rust stains. Extreme care must be exercised when using them, however, because they can cause burns to the skin, eyes and mucous membranes. They can also irreversibly damage tile, grout, faucets, and drains.

At NEU Homecare, we are currently testing an acid cleaner that is not corrosive to skin. This acid cleaner will be out in a couple of months and would be ideal for this application. A non-hazardous acid is always a better choice.

In the meantime, you could try to use household vinegar. Apply the vinegar to the stains, using care not to splash it anywhere, and let sit for a couple of minutes. Rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Since most household vinegar is not that strong, it will probably take some repeated applications to totally remove the rust stains. Unlike the advice of some so-called cleaning experts, it is never a good idea to mix anything with the vinegar (or any other cleaning solution for that matter). You cannot improve the performance of vinegar by mixing in some other household substance.

Even with vinegar, prolonged acid contact on stone, tile, grout or metal could cause etching. Make sure all surfaces that came into contact with the acid are rinsed thoroughly with fresh water. Always use care when handling any acid and do not get it in the eyes.

I hope this helps. Thanks again for your interest in NEU Homecare products.

Sincerely;

The Formulation Chemist™

Actual question & Answer submitted to: www.neuhomecare.com