Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Using cleaning products
• Method 2 of 2: Using other household products
• Warnings
• Necessities

If you have a fireplace, then you know how nice it is to light the fire in the fireplace on a cold evening. However, you also know how dirty the bricks in your fireplace get from all the smoke and soot. Because the bricks in a fireplace get so dirty, they should be cleaned at least once a year. Fortunately, these bricks are fairly easy to clean, whether you use traditional cleaning products or other household products.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Using cleaning products

1. Vacuum the bricks with an attachment with a soft brush. Use the attachment with a soft brush that you got with your vacuum cleaner and treat all the bricks with it. Vacuum up as much loose dust, dirt and grime as possible so that the bricks are easier to clean later.
2. Scrub your fireplace with dish soap to remove light stains. Put 120 ml of dish soap and a liter of water in a spray bottle and shake it. Then spray the mixture on your bricks and scrub them with scrub brushes of varying sizes. When the bricks are clean, rinse the bricks with warm water and dry them with a clean, dry cloth.
   • Dishwashing liquid is the easiest and fastest way to clean the bricks of a fireplace. So this should also be the first remedy you try if the bricks don't look too dirty.
   • Dishwashing liquid is relatively harmless, making it the best way to use it on older bricks.
3. Choose borax to clean and disinfect the bricks in your fireplace. In a spray bottle, mix two tablespoons (35 grams) of borax with one liter of hot water and one tablespoon (15 ml) of dish soap. Shake the mixture and spray it on the bricks. Scrub the injected bricks with your brush, making circular movements. Then wipe off the dirt with a clean damp cloth when the bricks are clean.
   • You can also prepare this mixture in a bucket and apply it to the bricks with a paintbrush or sponge if you don't have a spray bottle.
4. Clean newer, firmer bricks with ammonia and dish soap. Mix 120 ml of ammonia with 60 ml of washing-up liquid and a liter of hot water in a spray bottle. Shake the spray bottle to mix the ingredients. Spray this mixture on the bricks and scrub them with your scrub brush to clean them. When the bricks are clean, wipe them with a damp cloth to remove the cleaning mixture.
   • Ammonia can be harmful to bricks, so do not use this mixture in the case of particularly old and fragile bricks.
   • Make sure to wear rubber gloves and goggles when working with ammonia.
5. Use trisodium phosphate to remove the toughest stains and grease. In a large bucket, mix 30 ml trisodium phosphate with four liters of hot water. Dip your brush in the cleaning mixture and scrub the bricks with it. Finally, rinse the bricks with warm water.
   • Only use trisodium phosphate if you cannot clean the bricks with water and detergent.
   • Trisodium phosphate is a very strong cleaning agent, so always wear rubber gloves and goggles when using it. Avoid getting it on your skin, clothes, or carpeting.
   • You can buy trisodium phosphate at hardware stores and specialized web shops.

Method 2 of 2: Using other household products

1. Use baking soda and dish soap for a convenient cleaning method. Mix about two to three tablespoons (15 to 45 ml) of dish soap with 150 grams of baking soda to make a paste. Then dip your scrub brush in the paste and scrub the bricks with small circular motions. Let the paste soak into the bricks for about five minutes, then rinse the bricks with warm water.
   • Work from the bottom up when scrubbing so that you don't leave streaks.
2. Spray the bricks with vinegar and water if they are not too old. Mix equal amounts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray the bricks with this mixture.After a few minutes, spray the bricks again and scrub them with a scrub brush, making circular motions. Rinse the bricks with warm water when you are done.
   • Vinegar is slightly corrosive because it is acidic, so it is best not to use this method on bricks older than 20 years.
   • To avoid streaks, work from bottom to top when scrubbing.
   • You can apply a baking soda and water mixture to the bricks when you're ready to neutralize the sourness of the vinegar you just applied. However, this is not strictly necessary.
3. Make a tartar paste and use it to clean the bricks. To make a paste, mix two tablespoons (20 grams) of tartar with a small amount of water. Then apply a thin layer of paste to the sooty areas of the bricks with an old toothbrush. Let the paste sit for five to ten minutes. Finally, rinse the paste off with warm water.
   • This method is best used to clean relatively small sooty areas, unless you have a lot of tartar in the house.
4. Try a bathroom cleaner or oven cleaner if you don't have anything else around the house. Some people have managed to clean the bricks in a fireplace with bathroom spray and oven cleaner. Spray the cleaner on the bricks and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Then scrub the bricks with your brush and wipe away any residue with a sponge dipped in water.
   • Plumbing cleaner and oven cleaner don't always clean bricks properly, so only use them if you don't have anything else to clean the bricks in your fireplace.
   • You can buy bathroom spray and oven cleaner at all supermarkets.

Warnings

• When cleaning your fireplace with chemicals, be sure to wear rubber gloves and safety glasses.
• Before using a chemical to clean all the bricks in your fireplace, try it out in a small, inconspicuous area in your fireplace. Some chemicals can bleach and stain, and it is best to find out which ones will affect your fireplace before using them.
• Sometimes dilute hydrochloric acid is recommended for cleaning bricks in a fireplace without having to scrub them. However, when using this acid, you have to take a lot of safety precautions. It is therefore better to leave this cleaning method to professionals.

Necessities

• Dishwashing liquid
• salt
• Bucket
• Hard brush
• Warm water
• Borax
• Ammonia
• Trisodium phosphate
• Rubber gloves
• Vinegar
• Tartar
• Baking soda
• Sanitary cleaner or oven cleaner