# Does strength of OTC muriatic acid vary?



## HopelessMD (Dec 21, 2006)

Having not found any bottles in a while, I was cleaning a few 20th century small milks with muriatic and got to thinking.

 Of the muriatic (hydrochloric) acid available to the average citizen at Lowe's and other similar stores, (in other words, excluding the more potent hydrochloric acid in percentages which may be accessed by chemists or industrial workers), is there a common potency? Or can the hydrochloric acid content vary considerably, thus affecting dilution ratios and possibly raising additional safety concerns?

 Example. I've purchased and used muriatic which is 31.45% hydrochloric acid. I usually cut this 50/50, acid slowly into water, following all safety precautions. It does a nice job on relatively newer bottles. But the question here is the 31.45% potency. Does anyone know if the 31.45% is uniform or can the percentage of hydrochloric acid, when purchased "over the counter" be considerably less or more potent from area to area or even from store to store? 

  For example, I believe that clothing bleach is 5.21% sodium hypochlorite and that this level of sodium hypochlorite is fairly uniform when bleach is purchased from grocery stores and the like. I wonder if the same of true of muriatic in "over the counter" strength?

 (As many have said, NEVER mix bleach and muriatic, in fact never mix muriatic with anything except water - muriatic into water - and don't add other chemicals to bleach; I only mention bleach because it's a good example of a diluted active ingredient which is commonly available at a uniform strength.)


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## capsoda (Dec 22, 2006)

Muriatic acid has to be at least the strenght that it is advertised at BUT can be stronger without additional labeling. The 31.45 stuff is for general purpose cleaning of pools and concrete.

 You are right about mixing bleach or miriatic with anything else but water. Either can become suddenly explosive or very toxic creating gasses that will KILL, yes that is KILL in moments or burn severely enough to need skin grafts.


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## HopelessMD (Dec 22, 2006)

Thanks, Cap.


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## madman (Dec 29, 2006)

HEY HOPLESS IVE FOUND JUST OF LATE THAT PINE SOL SEEMS TO WORK OK  MIKE


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