Clean Red Brick

Red brick can be a beautiful addition to your home, but it requires some cleaning and maintenance to keep up its rustic charm over the years. You can vacuum your red brick with a high-powered nozzle or spray it with the garden hose. You can also wipe the surface with vinegar or a bleach mixture for routine cleaning. For tougher stains, you may need to use a chemical cleanser like ammonia or tri-phosphate sodium.

Steps

Cleaning Interior Red Brick

1. Use a high-powered vacuum. Use the nozzle of your high-powered vacuum cleaner to remove any surface dirt and grime on your red brick. Go over the entire surface of the brick with the nozzle of the vacuum, making sure you get into all the nooks and crannies.
   • You can try out different settings, but you’ll probably need to use the highest one to effectively remove most of the dirt.
2. Make a cleansing paste with salt and laundry detergent. Mix {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of mild laundry detergent with {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of regular table salt and add just enough water to create a paste. Use a clean, damp cloth to apply the paste to the red brick and let it sit for fifteen minutes, or until dry.
   • Once the paste has dried, remove the remnants with a nylon brush, or another hard-bristled brush.
   • If there is any remaining soot or dirt, try applying a bit of vinegar with a wet rag and wiping it clean.
3. Wipe with vinegar. Use a clean rag to apply a bit of distilled white vinegar to the red brick. Dampen the cloth with the vinegar and wipe it across the surface of your brick. Let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe it off with a clean damp cloth.
   • Remove any remaining vinegar residue with some warm water.

Cleaning Exterior Red Brick

1. Use a hose to wash off dirt and debris. Turn your garden hose on full spray and wash any dirt and grime off the brick as best you can with the strong force of the hose spray. Work methodically from one side to the other so that it doesn’t keep spraying back onto a part you have already cleaned.
   • You may also use a bucket with soapy water to scrub stains off of exterior red brick.
   • You can use different hose settings to access some of the harder to reach places. For example, you might need a more steady stream to get rid of cobwebs hiding in corners and crevices.
2. Apply a bleach mixture to eliminate moss and mold. Make a cleaning solution using four parts water to one part bleach. Combine it all in a bucket. Scrape off any moss or mold with a spatula or a stiff-bristled brush. Apply a generous covering of the bleach mixture directly to the red brick and let it sit overnight. Then you can rinse off the bleach mixture with a hose.
   • If there are still traces of mold remaining, you can make a stronger mixture – half water and half bleach – and let it sit on the red brick for two days before rinsing it off.
3. Seal the bricks for future protection. Once you have finished cleaning your exterior red bricks, consider sealing them with a siloxane- or silane-based sealer. This will help protect your bricks from future stains, and it will prevent dirt and grime from building up on your bricks over time.
   • You should be able to purchase these products at any home improvement store.

Removing Tough Stains

1. Use a trisodium phosphate cleaning solution. Purchase some trisodium phosphate and add {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of TSP to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of hot water. Dip a scrubbing brush into the cleaning solution and scrub the red brick until you begin to see results. When you finish scrubbing, rinse the brick with warm water to remove any lingering residue from the cleaning solution.
   • Be sure to wear rubber gloves while handling this cleaning solution.
   • You should be able to purchase trisodium phosphate at any grocery or home improvement store among the cleaning supplies.
2. Scrub the brick with an ammonia mixture. Pour some warm water into a bucket and add {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of ammonia. Dip a scrubbing brush into the mixture and scrub the red brick until the tough stains are removed. Be sure to rinse off the rest of the ammonia mixture with warm water.
   • Wear rubber gloves when handling ammonia.
   • This method is best for use on exterior red brick, or in a well-ventilated area.
3. Call a professional. If your red brick is extremely stained or covered in unwanted paint, it might be a good idea to simply let a professional handle it. These cleaning and removing processes can involve harsh chemical applications that should be left to professionals.
   • Most construction or home improvement companies can cover this kind of work, or recommend a qualified professional who can.

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• Create Homemade Brick Cleaner
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Sources and Citations

See also

• Clean Wood Siding
• Clean Cedar Shingles
• Clean Beach Sand
• Clean a Wood Fence
• Remove Mildew from Canvas Awnings
• Clean up a Toilet Papered House
• Clean a Rubber Roof
• Pressure Wash a House
• Pressure Wash Vinyl Siding