Those ancient brick fireplaces in the old houses give them a warm and dignified look. With repeated use over the years, however these brick fireplaces become very dirty and dusty. People try many things like vacuuming and painting for cleaning the brick fireplaces, but these don't seem to work very well. You may use the following tips for cleaning brick fireplaces and restoring them back to their original beautiful looks. You must know the type of bricks that your fireplace is built of. The cleaning process may depend on the type of bricks.
The most easy and simple method of cleaning a brick fireplace is by using a scrub brush and some warm water. You can begin at the top of the fireplace and then gradually work downwards. If the area near the fireplace is carpeted, then keep it covered while you are cleaning the fireplace.
If your fireplace is made of the common type of red brick and it has become extremely sooty and dirty, then you can clean it by giving a nice acid wash. The acid has to be diluted and washed down to about 10% dilution. Keep a bucket of normal water next to you to rinse off the acid wash as soon as it is brushed on the bricks. A word of caution is that acid wash should not be used on bricks that are painted or colored. The acid will take away all the color of the brick.
The hand cleaning method of using a brush and bucket is an extremely simple and effective method of cleaning brick fireplaces. As it can be executed so easily, it is also the most popular one. The cleaning compounds of proprietary type are also readily available in the market. You can use acid solutions, detergents or proprietary compounds for cleaning the bricks. Firstly, you must select the right kind of solution.
The proprietary compound must be suitable for cleaning bricks and you should follow the manufacturers' instructions for dilution. Soap solutions or detergents can be used for removing accumulated dirt, mud and soil. You may use a solution of half a cup of trisodium phosphate and laundry detergent each mixed with 3.9 L of clean water. You may use a 10% diluted solution of muriatic acid for acid wash.
The soot from the bricks can be cleaned by using children's light-colored molding dough. You can press this dough softly and lightly on the brick and the soot can be lifted away in this manner. Another way to clean the bricks is by using full strength household vinegar. You can dip the scrub brush in white vinegar and scrub the brick. You can also use a 50/50 mixture of water and laundry bleach in a spray bottle and scrub the bricks with a brush of soft bristles. Afterwards, rinse the brick with water.
Cleaning with a paste of baking soda and plain water also helps to clean the bricks. A powerful solution of Oxiclean will clean the fireplace bricks in an excellent manner. The latest cleaning sponges or erasers from Mr. Clean work wonders in cleaning brick fireplaces.