Well water stain issue solved with a surprising trick

I've been fighting these nasty orange stains on my stucco for like 3 years now after I put in a new drip system. Tried every cleaner at Home Depot, spent maybe $200 on different stuff, nothing worked. Then my buddy who builds pools in Phoenix told me to try oxalic acid - the stuff they use to clean rust off concrete. Mixed up a batch from a powder I got at the hardware store for $12, sprayed it on with a pump sprayer, and let it sit for 15 minutes. The stains just dissolved like magic, no scrubbing at all. Now I'm thinking I should have tested a small spot first because I got a little nervous about the overspray hitting my windows, but it rinsed right off. Has anyone else had luck with this stuff on desert mineral deposits or am I just late to the party?

3 comments

3 Comments

green.noah3d agoMost Upvoted

Did your buddy have you test it on a hidden spot first?

lewis.brian2d ago

Honestly, is it really that serious? I mean, worst case you end up with a weird hair color for a few days, it washes out. People act like a bad dye job is life or death when it's just hair.

adam_baker2d ago

I mean, I get your point but people spend real money on that stuff. If you paid sixty bucks for a salon dye job and end up with green hair from well water or whatever, that's not just a funny story. That's your money gone and you gotta look like a swamp thing for a week until it fades. And not everyone can just stay home or wear a hat to work. Some people have jobs where looking normal matters, you know? Sure it's just hair, but it's also your face people see every day. But yeah, if you're doing box dye at home for ten bucks, then yeah it's probably not worth crying over. You really think people overreact that much?