How best to clean beach found items?

[dkw1972]

I'm building a stock of driftwood and have been out as the tide went out today to see what goodies had been left behind.

There were no pieces of wood but i've found some fantastic old house bricks that used to have been worn from their usually perfect rectangular shape to long rounded red pebbles with worn holes running through them.

I have no idea what I will use them for yet but I couldn't not bring some back and there are loads more!!

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to clean them? With the driftwood it gets washed in a very weak bleach water, should I use the same on the bricks or is it likely to ruin the colour?

[The Forge]

If you take them out of the water for too long they will die. :eek:

[evaldart]

Never worry about color...just beware of rot or weakening by your chemical treatments (bleaching).

[GlennT]

Didn't the sun, the wind, the rain, and the sand clean them enough?

[grommet]

If you take them out of the water for too long they will die. :eek:

Thanks for the chuckle.:)


I would think the weak solution of bleach for a short wile should take care of lingering organic matter without ill effects.

[frozenimage]

Scrub the bricks with Ajax. Let them sun dry, seal them with exterior polyurethane. End of problem. I live on the Gulf of Mexico. If colour fades, paint them.

[dkw1972]

Many thanks for your help, i'll go and give them a clean :)

[grommet]

cool! the gulf of mexico goes all the way to pennsylvania now?

[jOe~]

cool! the gulf of mexico goes all the way to pennsylvania now?I'd noticed that too. Then I looked out my front window and decided to keep my mouth shut.

[StevenW]

I'd noticed that too. Then I looked out my front window and decided to keep my mouth shut.

The gulf of mexico goes to the pacific north west now also? :/

They'll do anything to get across the border these days..

Bricks.. Bricks are easy to clean, a cap-full of muriatic acid in a gallon of water, a quick bath and set asside to dry outdoors. :)

(just don't do it near anything you don't want getting rusty like your old 65 Mustang Fastback et. al.)

[jOe~]

(just don't do it near anything you don't want getting rusty like your old 65 Mustang Fastback et. al.) What a sled, man. My '69 Camero could take it. Come up with a competitor of merit. Get Serious dude.

[StevenW]

Chaimero's.. Hah! Breakfast treats..

[craigktx]

i have a island to sell you.:D

are the brick green from algae?
i would use them as they are,its beach stuff after all.

[dkw1972]

Some of the bricks in question!

[The Forge]

The photo explains everything. When you said "round red pebbles", that is what I envisioned. Those are regular size bricks that have all the corners rounded by the ocean/sand erosion. BTW, the bricks are made with those holes in them. Nice find.:cool:

[dkw1972]

[QUOTE= BTW, the bricks are made with those holes in them. Nice find.:cool:[/QUOTE]

Lol I know I used to be a builder :) which is probably why the appealed to me because they are so far removed from how they used to be.

[GlennT]

I can't imagine why you would want to clean them. People spend time and effort to get such nice patinas.

craigtx- how much for the island?

[dkw1972]

I can't imagine why you would want to clean them. People spend time and effort to get such nice patinas.

As with the driftwood cleaning it's about killing bacteria and any other nasties.

[GlennT]

As with the driftwood cleaning it's about killing bacteria and any other nasties.

Look, you don't have to eat them. I can even send you a care package.


I collect all sorts of rocks, driftwood, shells, etc, when out by lakes or ocean, and I've never cleaned them with a concern about bacteria. So far, I have had no apparent side effeczzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzyargggg!

[dkw1972]

Lmao :D

[Lady Fingers]

Actually, in Australia some people DO eat them!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutri-Grain

[The Forge]

DKW1972-
The hole comment was from your original description as " holes worn through them". :D