how to clean old bricks for reuse

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Cleaning your bricks can keep them in good condition and prevent corrosion from dirt, stains, or mold. For surface-level cleaning or routine maintenance, a mixture of dish soap and salt can keep your bricks clean. To lift deeper-set stains or debris, however, you may need to use boric acid or a pressure washer instead. Once you've chosen the best way to clean the brick, you'll be able to restore its luster in no time.

1
Vacuum or brush away any loose dirt. If your brick is dusty or dirty, use a scrub brush to scrub at any surface-level dirt or dust. If you have a vacuum cleaner handy, turn it on and use the brush attachment to blow away residual debris.^[1]
- If you don't brush away all of the dirt, don't worry. You'll be able to scrub away the rest as you wash the brick.
- Avoid wire brushes, which can leave metal scratches on the brick and cause rust or corrosion over time.
2
Spray the entire surface of the brick with water. Dry bricks absorb soap, which can cause them to crumble or discolor over time. To prevent this from happening, fill a spray bottle with water and mist the entire surface of the brick.^[2]
- If you're cleaning multiple bricks and are outdoors, you can hose the bricks down as an alternative.
- This will cause the brick to absorb the water first and keep it from becoming saturated with soap.
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3
Create a paste mixture from dish soap and salt. Pour 1 c (8.3 imp fl oz; 8.0 fl oz) of dish soap and 1 c (8.3 imp fl oz; 8.0 fl oz) of salt in a bucket and mix thoroughly. The paste mixture should have a gritty, yet spreadable texture.^[3]
- If you're cleaning many bricks, you can mix a larger batch of the paste mixture using a 1:1 ratio of soap and salt.
- Do not mix other cleaning solvents with the paste mixture, as some combinations (like bleach and ammonia) can result in dangerous chemical interactions.
4
Apply the paste to the brick with a washcloth and let it sit for 10 minutes. Dip a washcloth in the paste mixture and spread it evenly over the surface of the brick. Leave the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes so it can soften the dirt and debris before scrubbing it off.^[4]
- The paste layer can be as thin or thick as you want, with its thickness depending on how dirty the brick is.
5
Scrub the brick's surface thoroughly with a brush. After 10 minutes, use a scrub brush to clean away the dirt in circular motions. For stubborn areas, use applied pressure to lift the dirt or stains from the brick.^[5]
- Again, avoid using wire brushes to clean bricks.
- If you cannot scrub off all of the dirt by scrubbing, you may need to use acid or a pressure washer to clean the brick.
6
Rinse the paste off of the brick with warm water. Leaving the paste mixture on the brick can cause corrosion over time. Once you've scrubbed off the dirt, dip a clean rag in warm water and wipe away any soap or dirt residue.^[6]
- After washing the paste off, dry the brick off with a towel or leave the brick to air dry in a warm area.
- If you're washing multiple bricks outside, you can hose them off instead.
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1
Lay down a drop cloth in a well-ventilated area. Boric acid is corrosive and can cause skin or respiratory irritation. Find a well-ventilated area, preferably outdoors, and spread out a drop cloth over anything that could become damaged by the acid.^[7]
- If you need to clean the brick indoors, choose a spot near open doors or windows.
2
Put on a pair of goggles and thick, rubber gloves. While handling boric acid, make sure to cover your eyes and any skin that will directly handle the cleaning agents. Wear goggles to protect your eyes and rubber gloves to protect your hands and forearms.^[8]
- Wear long-sleeved clothes, if possible, to protect as much of your skin as possible.
- If you have long hair, pull it back tightly in a bun or ponytail while cleaning with acid.
3
Spray the brick with water. Dry bricks can become saturated with acid and crumble or corrode over time. To avoid this, fill a spray bottle with water and spritz the brick's surface before applying the acid.^[9]
- If you don't have a spray bottle, dip a washcloth in water and wipe the surface of the brick.
- You can also hose the bricks down instead if you're cleaning multiple outside (like a brick wall, for instance).^[10]
4
Fill a bucket halfway with water, then add the boric acid. The concentrated acid's strength will determine how much acid you'll need for a diluted cleaning solution. Pour the water first instead of the boric acid to prevent burns from the acid splashing up while adding water.^[11]
- You can buy boric acid online or from most home improvement stores.
- Boric acid generally comes in dry, highly concentrated packages before they're mixed with water, so handle it carefully and check the directions for how much to add.
5
Scrub the brick after about 5 minutes. Let the acid soften the dirt or debris for about 5 minutes. Then, dip a plastic bristle brush in the acid and gently scrub the brick in circular motions, focusing on particularly dirty or stained areas.^[12]
- Avoid using wire brushes to scrub the brick, as the metallic residue can corrode it over time.
6
Wash the acid off with a washcloth. After scrubbing away the dirt, dip a second washcloth in water. Wipe away any acid or dirt residue with the washcloth until the brick is clean, then dry it off with a cloth or leave it to air dry.^[13]
- If you're cleaning the brick outdoors, you can also wash the acid off with a hose instead.
- Leave any remaining boric acid in the bucket and contact your local authorities for disposal instructions. You may need to dilute it with water before flushing it away ot deliver it to a disposal center.^[14]
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1
Purchase or rent a pressure washer for deep stains. Pressure washers are useful for spraying away stubborn patches of dirt or stains. You can purchase pressure washers online or buy them from many home improvement stores.
- If you don't own a pressure washer, you can buy or rent one from some home improvement stores.
2
Spray the brick's surface with a pressure washer about 12–18 inches (30–46 cm) away. Standing about 12–18 inches (30–46 cm) away from the brick's surface, turn on the power washer and spray the surface of the brick. Work from the bottom of the brick upward to make sure you coat the entire surface.
- Spraying the brick before adding a cleaner will prevent it from absorbing any cleaners and corroding.
3
Apply a mild cleaner or dish soap to the surface of the brick. Dip a washcloth in dish soap or a mild home cleaner mixed with water, as directed by the packaging. Wipe the solution over the surface of the brick in gentle, circular motions, coating the entire brick in the cleaning solution.^[15]
- For deeper set stains, you can apply a mixture of boric acid and water instead. Make sure to wear goggles, gloves, and long-sleeved clothes and work in a well-ventilated location.
4
Rinse the brick after letting the cleaner sit for 5-10 minutes. Leave the cleaning solution on the brick to soften the dirt or stains for around 5-10 minutes. Then, stand about 12–18 inches (30–46 cm) away from the brick and rinse away the cleaner with the pressure washer from the bottom up.^[16]
- To prevent the cleaner from corroding the brick, make sure you rinse off the entire surface of the brick.
- If you're working on multiple bricks, you can rinse all of them at once from the bottom up.
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Add New Question

Question

How can I clean dried mortar off of bricks?

Gerber Ortiz-Vega is a Masonry Specialist and the Founder of GO Masonry LLC, a masonry company based in Northern Virginia. Gerber specializes in providing brick and stone laying services, concrete installations, and masonry repairs. Gerber has over four years of experience running GO Masonry and over ten years of general masonry work experience. He earned a BA in Marketing from the University of Mary Washington in 2017.

Masonry Specialist

Expert Answer
Question

How can I clean a brick patio?

A power washer, 2000 psi. It will remove everything including paint, grease, moss, etc.
Question

How can I remove soot/ash stains from a brick hearth?

Since it is like cleaning burners from your grill, soak the brick in hickory and then wash it with a sponge. It may sound odd but it actually works really well!
Question

Do I need protective clothing?

It's a good idea to wear gloves when dealing with bricks. Otherwise, you do not need more than that.
Question

Is there a different technique for cleaning exterior bricks that are white?

Try using a power hose that helps scrape off the exterior things that are unnecessary.
Question

How do I clean a brick with a white powdery stain?

Andy Winder

Community Answer

If the white stain seems surface level, a 1:1 mixture of dish soap and salt should lift the stain. For deeper stains, try lifting it with boric acid or a pressure washer.
Question

What is the most effective way to remove mold from red brick?

Andy Winder

Community Answer

Mold is generally more deep-set on bricks than surface level stains. Try using a diluted boric acid solution to scrub the mold from the bricks.
Question

How do I clean inside the brick around a fireplace?

An oven cleaner will remove the black creosote buildup inside the fireplace. You can also use a solution of lye (sodium hypochlorite) and scrub with a brush. Both will work, but you MUST wear gloves, eye protection, skin protection, and breathing protection.
Question

How do I clean slime (kid's goo) off brick?

Try some Goo Gone, the orange smelling stuff. Pour it on the bricks, wait 30 seconds to a minute and a half, and then wipe it off with an old rag.
Question

We have cooking oil splattered on the red brick of our home. How do we remove it?

Use gasoline. Gasoline effectively dissolves oils and even grease. Hexane, isolated from other gasoline components, serves as a solvent for vegetable oils, such as peanut oil and soybean oil, but also animal oils. Be careful, though, as gasoline is highly flammable.

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VideoRead Video Transcript

Wear old clothing that you don't mind getting dirty while cleaning to prevent staining your favorite clothes.
You can find chemical cleaners designed specifically for brick at a local brick supplier.^[17]

When using powerful chemicals like boric acid, avoid contact with your skin. If you get any acid on your skin, scrub the skin with water thoroughly and contact poison control for further instructions.
Never use wire brushes to clean bricks, as the metallic residue can corrode the brick over time.

Things You'll Need

Scrub brush
Spray bottle
Water
Bucket
Dish soap
Salt
Washcloth
Vacuum with brush attachment (optional)

Drop cloth
Goggles
Rubber gloves
Water
Spray bottle
Boric acid
Bucket
Washcloth

Pressure washer
Washcloth
Water
Dish soap or mild cleaner
Goggles and rubber gloves (optional)
Boric acid (optional)

About This Article

Article Summary X

To clean bricks when they're dusty or dirty, start by spraying down the entire surface with water and coating it with a mixture of dish soap and salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then clean the surface with a scrub brush and rinse with warm water to prevent corrosion from the soap mixture. For stubborn dirt and stains, spray the bricks with a pressure washer rented from your local home improvement store. Then, use a washcloth to wipe the surface with dish soap, and rinse with the pressure washer after 5 to 10 minutes. For more advice, including how to clean rust, cement, or mortar stains on your bricks, keep reading.

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