Hi everyone! I've recently installed some travertine (honed and filled) on my bathroom and laundryroom floor. I need to remove some efflorescence and realize that I need to use abrasion rather than acid. I had tested some tiles using superfine steel wool. It seems to do the trick but leaves a lot of steel dust to rust later (something I learned in this forum). Rather than try finding a big magnet and devising some way to run it across all the tiles without scratching and still reliably pick up all the steel dust, I decided to try the white nylon scrubbing pad attached to an orbital sander method that I also read about in a few of the posts. Now here is where I get to the part about needing advice.
(1) I can't find the white nylon scrubbing pads. I've found the ones made by 3M that are attached to a sponge on one side, but I'm pretty sure I need to find the stand alone scrubbing pads. I've looked at HD and Lowes. Are these things a specialty item? Any idea where I can get them in California?
Thanks!
(2) Once I get my hands on those pads, how in the world do I attach them to the orbital sander?
I've only used a 1/4 sheet sander before and I could see how the pads might be attached to them but I'm pretty sure I need the circular action of an orbital sander. The ones I looked at in the store seemed to need special-made sanding pads. Other than the Velcro type ones that just get stuck on, I'm not sure how they attach. Can someone enlighten me?
