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Why does nobody talk about how long tool cleanup actually takes?

I spent 2 hours cleaning my mortar mixer and trowels after a small patio job in Portland last week. The actual bricklaying only took 4 hours, but I was picking dried mortar out of the mixer's drum until dark. Has anyone found a quicker way to keep the mixer from caking up mid-job?

3 comments

3 Comments

cooper.phoenix2mo ago

Saw a trick on a job site once where a guy kept a spray bottle full of water and a drop of dish soap, and he'd hit the inside of the drum every time he dumped a batch. He swore the soap keeps the mortar from sticking in the first place. I tried it on my last pour and it did help some, but you still have to scrub the paddles. Another thing I read is to never let the mixer sit full of mortar for more than 10 minutes, even if you're just waiting for the next load of blocks. Once that stuff starts to set, you're done for. The real secret I heard is to buy a cheap plastic mixing tub and just hose it off every 15 minutes.

mila_flores81mo ago

Gotta agree, that soap trick is a lifesaver. I started doing it a few years back and it's cut my cleanup time in half for sure.

karen_west592mo ago

Oh man, 2 hours of scraping mortar sounds like a punishment for a crime I didn't commit.