leer12•4mo ago

Shoutout to the old-timer who warned me about mixing mortar in a galvanized bucket for a big job

I ignored him on a three-day foundation pour in Tacoma, and now my trowel is permanently stained a weird blue-green color from the reaction, so what's the best way to clean it or should I just buy a new one?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant.margaret1mo ago

Soak that trowel in white vinegar for about 24 hours, it'll pull most of that blue-green out. I did the same thing on a job in Puyallup last year and thought I ruined a good margin trowel forever. Scrub it with a wire brush after the soak and you'll be good to go, no need to buy new.

simonm674mo ago

That blue-green stain is basically a permanent badge of honor for ignoring good advice.

the_wesley4mo ago

Simonm67 gets it. My hands look like a faded road map of bad decisions. That stain on my thumb is from a pen that exploded three years ago, and I still can't get it off. At this point it's just part of my body, a reminder to maybe listen next time someone says "don't shake that.