Oxidation Removal

Question:

We are erecting a new storage unit and did not weather protect the partitions this past spring. The steel "sheets"(they were stacked flat together) have a white powdery substance on them that we wish to easily remove prior to renting the units. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. K.J.

Answer:

It sounds as though you had moisture seep between sheets of galvanized steel partitions. I don't know how easy it will be to remove this, depending on the degree to which the zinc has oxidized. I would suggest that you would need something like a bristle brush or steel brush with mildly acidic cleaning solution you can purchase from your local hardware store. To avoid this in the future, you will need to get these partitions painted with a good outdoor paint shortly after getting them cleaned up.