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If the white things "feel like powder," they would not feel at all. Instead it would crumble and become smooth and chalky in your fingertips. It would also come right off. You might even be able to blow it off. There are two forms of eff. 1) Powdery. 2) Calcified. Powdery eff is pretty easy to remove. Its more difficult to keep it from coming back. Calcified eff is extremely difficult to remove and in my opinion should only be done by a professional. Thats where you can run into a problem. Not many I would consider to be professionals in the art of eff removal. Every situation is a little different and requires a little different technique. A lot of damage can be done very quickly if you don't know exactly what you're doing. Not to mention the possibility of burning the brick. My question to you: How long did it take this white stuff to get where it is, and how long has it been there? Are the bricks new or old? Has the white stuff suddenly appeared over the last couple of weeks, months or years? Has the brick been sealed? If so, when? Even without those questions being answered I'll tell you my initial opinion on what is going on and it's pretty simple. It may be calcified efflorescence, but it usually doesn't look like that. Calcified eff would also take a few years to get to look like what you have. Doesn't really fit the profile but I wouldn't exclude it. In my opining, it looks like the bricks had moisture in them and sealer was applied prematurely. The moisture wicking out from the brick will not be able to evaporate and will turn the sealer white. The amount of whiteness depends on how much moisture is trying to get out. The more moisture = more white. If this is the case all you will have to do is find out what type of remover to use on the sealer. It will need to be taken off, let the brick dry thoroughly and then reapply the sealer.