How to Clean Brick

Wrap a painter’s drop cloth around the base of the brick and tape it in place with a weak tape like masking tape. Do not use duct tape or you may later have to remove adhesive residue. Painter’s drop cloths are available at most supermarket and hardware stores for a couple dollars. This will protect your carpet from getting wet as you clean the brick. Once the carpet is covered, clean the brick with one of the methods below.

You Will Need:

• Borax (usually found in the laundry aisle)
• Bucket
• Warm water
• Scrub brush (coarse bristles)
• Cleaning rags
• Rubber gloves

The Cleaning Process:

1. In your bucket, add about 1 tablespoon of borax to one gallon of warm water.
2. Wearing your rubber gloves, dip your scrub brush in the cleaning solution and scrub the surface of the brick.
3. When you’re done scrubbing, rinse away the solution with a rag dipped in warm water.

You Will Need:

• Rubber gloves
• Commercial cleaner (see suggestions below)
• Cloth or paper towels
• Water

The Cleaning Process

1. There are several cleaners on the market that work well for cleaning brick. For general cleaning and stain removal, Nature’s Miracle Hard Floor Cleaner works well. It  is an enzyme cleaner that will eat up any dirt or bacteria from the surface and then dry without any washing or scrubbing needed. It is available in the pet aisle of most supermarkets or at most major pet stores. Be sure to test it on a small hidden area first, then follow the instructions on the label to use it.
2. Another cleaner that can work is Rutland Brick & Stone Cleaner. Although primarily sold for use on fireplace brick, it can work to remove general dirt as well. Follow the instructions on the label to use it.
3. If the brick is particularly dirty, wipe it with a cloth after a few minutes to remove the dirt that the cleaner has lifted.
4. Once the brick is clean, we recommend wiping it down with a damp cloth to remove any residue from the sealer as the residue may cause the brick to attract dirt more quickly in the future.

This is your method of last resort. Trisodium Phosphate (sold in most home improvement and hardware stores) is a hazardous chemical, and you should wear heavy duty rubber gloves and safety goggles when using this product. Avoid getting this solution on anything except the brick, including skin, flooring, carpeting, and furniture. For more information regarding hazards associated with TSP is available online.

You Will Need:

• Large bucket
• Trisodium Phosphate (TSP)
• Hot water
• Scrub brush (coarse bristles)
• Cleaning rag
• Goggles
• Heavy duty rubber gloves

The Cleaning Process:

1. Making sure you are wearing your protective gear, in your bucket, mix about 1/2 cup of TSP with 1 gallon of hot water.
2. Dip your scrub brush in the solution and scrub the brick.
3. When done scrubbing, rinse the area thoroughly with hot water, using the cleaning rag.
4. If stains remain, you may scrub again, increasing the TSP to 1 cup per gallon of hot water. NOTE: This will be a VERY strong and abrasive solution! Be careful not to get it on yourself or anything else, except the brick!

To clean brick that is part of a fireplace and has soot stains, use the guide How to Clean a Brick Fireplace.

• To avoid damage to your brick, always try the mildest method of cleaning first, and graduate step by step to more aggressive cleaning methods until you find one that works.
• Never apply sealant or waterproofing to any brick surface; brick needs to breath and applying any such substance to your brick will ultimately ruin it.
• Your brick surfaces should be dusted and vacuumed regularly to lessen the frequency of heavy duty cleaning.
• No matter what cleaning method you are using ALWAYS keep your work area well-ventilated to avoid the ill-effects of fumes from your particular cleaning solution.
• For heavy patches of grime or burnt material on brick fireplaces, oven cleaner may be an effective alternate cleaning method.