Oxalic Acid is used as a mild form of bleach, that restores the natural colour of timber. It is ideal to aid in the neutralising of any trace elements of any previous chemicals, stains and dyes that may be left after the initial paint stripping processes.

Oxalic Acid's major uses are in textile finishing, stripping, cleaning, calico printing, dyeing, rust stain removal, metal & equipment cleaning and as a timber bleach. It is also commonly used in the dye manufacture of paper, ceramics, photography and rubber industries.

Oxalic Acid's appearance is a white, colourless, crystalline solid and is very soluble in water and ethanol. It occurs naturally in many plants (rhubarb leaves, spinach) and can be made by alkali extraction of sawdust. It is a reducing agent and is slightly stronger acid than phosphoric acid.

[edit] Method of Use

Step 1 - Mix 250g or ¼ kg of Oxalic Acid in approximately 10 litres of hot water. Hot water is required to activate the chemical (ie for the chemical to work at its best efficiency), if water cools, all that is required to re-activate the chemical is to reheat the solution. This is normally achieved by just adding boiling water and a small amount of Oxalic Acid. In some cases, a stronger solution may be required, so therefore just increase the amount of Oxalic Acid per 10 litres.

Step 2 - Liberally applied the Oxalic Acid solution to the surfaces that have been stripped and let it sit for a period of 2-5 minutes. As you apply the Oxalic Acid solution/rejuvenator the colour change will be instant. Once you are happy with the colour rinse down all surfaces with copious amounts of warm water and allow to dry thoroughly before commencing any other work.

[edit] Safety

As with any chemical safety precautions should be undertaken. We therefore recommend that you wear the appropriate safety items for your own protection, and observe safety instructions on packaging.

• Safety glasses

• Rubber Gloves

• Old clothes and rubber apron

• Suitable footwear (waterproof)