Cleaning Quartz?

[-=METACOM=-]

Just wondering, do any of you guys have a method for getting the dirt out of all the little quartz cracks? I have a few I'd love to see cleaned up a little more.

[CMD]

I hear ya, but can't be of much help. Sometimes, they're are some tough to clean crevices. I use a toothbrush and dish detergent when I bring them home, and have never gone past that. Have scrubbed like heck when I see dirt leftover, but just settle for the best I can do.

[-=METACOM=-]

Yea I've done some heavy scrubbing and there's just no getting it out sometimes... Some points just have a lot more of it.

[tomclark]

Some of that stain that won't come out is from iron stain in the clay.... I have cleaned quartz crystals from Arkansas and I assume WITH GREAT CARE one might use the following to first try to clean some brokes or chips with the stain, then maybe experiment with better pieces..... however it better be pure quartz and you can't put the original stain back in there once it's dissolved off. I only have a dozen or so quartz points from SC and I understand that staining and think it might look great if there wasn't any. So do it or not, lol I"ve done all of the following with quartz crystals but not points. Chert and Coral river stain etc can be taken off with ketchup lolol or chili sauce lolol or one of the methods below because it's all quartz. I have taken pure coral and chert and put it in muriatic acid and it didn't do a thing, as glass doesn't. If it has cortex or limerock on it the it fizzes off, would ruin an artifact but makes killer specimens of agate with the crap burned off.

I have this like the recipe for Gomer's Solution...
"""
Newly dug quartz crystals and crystal formations are often stained red-brown from iron and crusted with clay, when they're not coated with tougher substances such as limonite or calcium deposits. Getting these off to display the sparkling beauty beneath can be a lot of work, but the right techniques and cleaners will help.

Initial Cleaning

The first step is to get rid of the clay. For a few prize specimens, tools such as an old toothbrush and bamboo shish kebab skewers will do the job. If you have many to clean, however -- particularly if they are intricate formations -- leave them to dry in the shade until the clay cracks. Then hose them off hard with your spray nozzle set for as much pressure as your system will provide. Often you will need to repeat this step several times, allowing the clay to completely dry again between hosings.

Tip: Don't do this in your sink or bathtub! Clay will clog your pipes.

If your sample has organic material on it, like algae, use household bleach to clean it. Be sure to let it dry for a day before using any acid cleaning method.

Acid and Other Cleaning Methods

Here are some general safety rules for cleaning minerals with acid and other solutions:

• Only use chemicals that are clearly labeled and store them in a secure area away from pets and children.
• Keep a large container of clear water handy to wash off any chemical spills.
• ALWAYS wear safety goggles & rubber gloves.
• Don't work alone.
• Avoid splattering.
• Never pour water into acid -- always add acid to water.
• Keep an ample supply of baking soda handy for acid spills.
• Keep an ample supply of vinegar for alkali spills.
• Rinse specimens well.

Getting Rid of Iron Stains

A common disfiguration of quartz crystals is a rusty staining caused by iron. Soaking the crystals in oxalic acid is the usual way to remedy this. Oxalic acid powder -- sometimes called wood bleach -- is available at rock shops, drug stores (though this may be an expensive way to go), and cleaning supply stores.

Start by putting your specimens in a plastic bucket after cleaning all the clay off them (clay keeps the acid from doing its job). Cover them with distilled water and add the oxalic acid powder. Follow the directions on the package if available. If not, you may have to try several different concentrations of solution for different soaking periods, depending on how stained your specimens are. You can start by adding 1/2 to 1 cup of oxalic acid crystals to 1/2 gallon of water in the bucket. For larger quantities, use about 16 ounces of oxalic acid to 2 gallons or more of water. Too much oxalic acid can turn quartz yellow, so if you have light staining, only use about 2 tablespoons of oxalic acid per 1/2 gallon of water. Always remember to add acid to water, not water to acid! Let your mineral specimens soak for one to several days, or, if you're in a hurry (or the staining is very heavy), you can heat the solution by standing the bucket in the hot sun. Some people use an old crock pot instead of a plastic bucket, and heat their acid solution that way. Don't heat this solution on your kitchen stove, and don't use any kind of metal container. Do this procedure outside, particularly if you heat (never boil) the acid, as it puts off poisonous fumes. Oxalic acid is mild as acids go, but rubber gloves are a good idea when handling either the acid solution or your specimens until they are well rinsed.

If the crystals start to develop a powdery coating as they dry, soak them in a baking soda solution -- about 1/3 cup to a gallon of water -- and then rinse them well. If they get a yellowish stain or coating during the process, soak the specimens in water for up to a week. For your next batch, try using a weaker solution of acid and stir the solution frequently.

The oxalic acid solution can be reused many times by just adding a little water and powdered acid each time. When it turns a deep green, you need a new batch. Neutralize the worn out solution by adding baking soda or agricultural lime (not unslaked lime from a building supply store!) until the mixture stops fizzing. Then you can pour it down the drain or out on the ground.

Other methods of dealing with iron stains use Iron-out or Naval Jelly. Iron-out is a commercial bisulfate cleaner meant for getting iron stains out of kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Add about 1 tablespoon of Iron Out to a pint of warm water in a plastic bucket or container. Soak your crystal clusters in the Iron Out solution for 5-20 minutes, up to a maximum of 1-2 hours. When done, pour the liquid down the drain and thoroughly rinse your mineral specimens. Naval Jelly, which contains phosphoric acid, is sold for getting rust off metal, but it works on quartz crystals as well. Just paint it on and then wash it off.

Other Cleaning Challenges

If your quartz crystals are encrusted with calcite, barite, or lime carbonates, you can try cleaning them with ordinary household vinegar and washing ammonia. You'll want to soak them for 8-12 hours in full-strength vinegar. Wash the crystals well, and then soak them for the same amount of time in washing ammonia. Rinse them well and wipe dry. If this helps remove the coating, but doesn't finish the job, you can try repeating the process a couple of times.

For very resistant calcite encrustations on quartz, or for limonite or some other tough mineral coatings, you may have to resort to washing your samples in a muriatic (dilute hydrochloric) acid solution. CAUTION: If a specimen contains pyrite crystals, try some other method! The muriatic acid will damage pyrite (and of course calcite crystals should never be treated by this process).

Muriatic acid is sold as a concrete and pool cleaner, so it isn't hard to get. It is, however, much stronger than simple vinegar, or even oxalic acid, and must be used with great care. You'll need rubber gloves, goggles, large boxes of baking soda, several buckets, and a secure outdoor space to work in.

In the first bucket put your crystals that need cleaning. Fill a second bucket with water for rinsing, a third and fourth bucket with a strong baking soda solution, and set a fifth, empty bucket handy for draining the muriatic solution into when you need to check the progress of the cleaning.

Whether you dilute the muriatic acid is your choice. Some people use it straight from the container and get good, quick results. If you DO dilute it, however, remember to add the acid to the water and not the other way around.

Make sure that the specimens in your cleaning bucket are dry. Using your gloves and goggles, pour enough muriatic acid over the crystals to completely cover them. Be careful not to breathe the fumes from the acid! If you are cleaning calcite or another alkaline mineral from the specimens, the solution will fizz wildly. In most cases you can leave the solution to work until the fizzing stops. If you are cleaning clusters of quartz crystals, however, you may want to check the specimens after five minutes. Sometimes quartz clusters are held together by calcite, and you might end up with a bunch of loose crystals."""

[-=METACOM=-]

Good info Tom thank you. I think I'll give it a try.

[Tam]

Wow T thank you .. I am going to screen shot this and save it . The best engraver I ever found has so much staining and plant growth aka algae .
Only scrappers but the day will come .
Thank you for this very detailed solution . No pun intended

[Von]

That’s great information Tom! The only thing I want to add is watch out cleaning quartz specimens with acid because you can turn a nice cluster into a pile of individual crystals! I looked again and I see now that you covered that. Bottom line is be careful and aware.

Von

[MelaniePayne]

Try to get rid of the dirt with a sponge and cleaning agent. The main thing is that there is a good detergent. It's just that usually in stores they try to sell the most expensive and not the most effective cleaning agent. I know that citric acid and soda work best. I was told about this tool by the cleaning service, to which I turned a year ago on niftytilecleaning.com.au. They come and clean my house every week. When they notice some stains on my desk (from turmeric or mulberry), they tell me that I can get rid of these stains with citric acid and soda.

[Coy]

If it's in the cracks and you're sure it's not part of the material, some warm water with a dab of dish soap and a solid, intentional scrub from nailbrush in all directions has always done the trick for me when I want a quartz piece clean clean clean.

But I'm also a bit of an odd duck and sometimes I like a little hard to remove dirt on a piece. Probably an unpopular opinion but it reminds me I found them and all the dirt I pounded looking for them.

[Artifascination]

I soak them in vinegar and then use a portable pressure washer. It cleans all the crevices!

[Mattern]

This might sound too simple, if your willing to wait out some time. I simply lay stained Artifacts out side and let mother nature clean them for me. It just takes time and patience. It will work except for iron but even some of that will bleach out. It will be worth the time> make sure there in sunlight and not in shade. You'll be please with the results. Oh on the worst ones it might take a year. Kim

[clambellies]

For quartz I just take a jar and put a lot of powered dishwasher soap in it and add water and soak the point for a day or so.