How Do You Clean Brick on a Fireplace?

One of the things that first drew you to yourcombustible for as long as four days!
home was the fantasy of you and your familyYou can use a wet-and-dry vacuum to clean up
sitting down next to a crackling blaze inside thoseany leftover dust or small bits too small to sweep
wonderful brick fireplaces. While you have spentfrom the pit and firebox. Next you start the
many great evenings and weekends sittingcleaning up process. If you have glass fire screens
comfortably around a roaring fire, the reality isyou can use a half-and-half mixture of the white
that where there is a fire, there are smokyvinegar and water to make a streak-free cleaner.
stains, black soot and piles of old ashes on yourNow for the smoke - take a bucket of clean
brick fireplaces.water and a sponge and wet down section of
Tips on Cleaning Brick Fireplaces with Woodfacing you will be working with. Work your way
Fireboxes:from top to bottom. This water saturation is to
In many cases, you can clean fireplaces withkeep any cleaners and solvents from soaking into
some simple household items. First, gatherthe pores of the mortar and brick.
together your "toolbox". Most of these items canNext mix up a mild solution of TSP or use your
be gotten affordably at most hardware or homescouring powder and scrub brush to go over the
maintenance stores.face of each brick of the fireplace. You should do
You will need:o A couple of plastic buckets and aonly one section at time and rinse as you go
good stiff scrub brusho A vacuum cleaner withalong. Be careful of the mortar joints or else you
disposable bagso A rubber gloveso A set ofrun the risk damaging the masonry or mantels for
goggles or safety glasses for protecting yourbrick fireplaces and resurfacing fireplaces can be
eyeso A disposable drop clotho A container ofvery expensive.
TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate) or a commercialOnce you have finished working the mantel,
scrubbing powdero A "green" substitute for TSPhearth and external walls, you can move into
is white household vinegaro A small bottle ofworking on the firebox. Here you will find more
chlorine bleach (optional - for mold and mildewsoot and ash debris. Since it is a carbonized
removal)o A heavy duty broom, shovel and metalresidue, it will literally turn into a quick staining ink if
bucket for handling wood asheso Paper towels,you wet it.
sponges and cloth cleaning ragso A soot removalFirst, you must clean up the soot as much as
spongepossible using your broom, shovel and soot
First, you need to remove any piles of ashesremoval sponge. Don't wet this sponge! Just use it
from inside the firebox or ash pit, if you fireplaceon drag down the soot from the top of the
has one. Be careful how you trash yourfirebox to the bottom.
ash...always store ashes inside a metal containerRemove the debris with the broom, shovel or
until you can dispose of them properly.shop vacuum. Polish any metalwork and you are
Remember ashes can keep embers hot anddone cleaning your brick fireplaces.