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Stainless Steel is oxidizing due to floor tile dust?

After needing to tear out a tile floor for a recent customer, It is being suggested that within a weeks time, after they have cleaned their stainless steel refrigerator, oxidation has occurred due to the dust from the removed flooring, interacting with the stainless steel. Is this possible? Thank you for your informed response.

Sue Paitson
residential contractor - Terre Haute, IN, USA
January 17, 2009

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January 17, 2009

Hi, Sue. This is just an opinion, not a professional opinion, but it sounds quite unlikely. However, if muriatic acid ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] was used at any point in the process, it sounds highly likely. Remember, muriatic (hydrochloric) acid is not really a liquid, it is a gas dissolved in water. The wet acid does not need to touch the metal to corrode it, the fumes will do so.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Very unlikely that tile dust caused the corrosion/rust. Usually when cleaning grout, thinset, and concrete Muriatic Acid (hydrochloric acid or hydrochloric acid containing products) are used which would be the culprit. If your research turns up no HCl was used then find out how the stainless was cleaned. STEEL WOOL will also cause rusting.

Cliff Kusch
electropolishing shop - North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
September 21, 2009