Brick Cleaner: How To Keep Your Bricks In Perfect Shape

A common brick is made by heating up brick shaped clay in a kiln and let it to cool down slowly. By adding iron powder to the clay, the brick maker gives the brick its unique red color.

Sealed bricks are easy to keep clean by using a regular vacuum cleaner or a damp mop. If they are covered with hard to remove dirt or soil, use a little detergent, scrub them gently, then rinse and wipe.

First step when sealing an unsealed brick is to cover the adjacent tiles with towels to absorb water and humidity. Using a brush or sponge, scrub the work surface with water and detergent, and finish by rinsing the surface with plain water. Leave it for some time to dry and using a brick masonry sealer paint on the work area, make sure to cover all the dents and scratches. After the first layer is dry, paint it again adding an extra protection coat. Try to paint a new layer each year to keep a perfect seal over your bricks. Instead of brick sealer you can also use wax.

A good solution for cleaning bricks is made from mixing one tablespoon of washing soda with a gallon of water. This will create a strong alkaline solution that will bring to the surface the dirt and dust from the bricks. You must make sure to rinse properly and clean out all the washing mix.

Even sealed bricks may can get covered with dirt, usually from any masonry work done nearby or by the smoke coming from a fireplace. Use a mix of one part muriatic acid and ten parts water and wash down the bricks. When done, rinse a lot to make sure that the muriatic acid is completely flushed away as the remaining acid can make a white dust that will cover all your bricks.

For the fireplace bricks use a tung oil sealer that will create a more resistant and protective cover that can absorb moisture grease and cooking oils, and it is very easy to clean with regular soap and plain water.

Here are some common cleaning solutions that you can make. Be careful and use protective gloves when working with chemicals.

Combine 1 oz soap mixed with 1 oz table salt until the mixture becomes a cream that can be applied to the brick surface using a cloth. Let it dry and remove it using a brush.

Mix detergent, pumice and ammonia with hot water to form a thick solution that you can paint on the bricks and let to dry, then remove it using a wet brush.

For a greasy type of dirt, use a bar of naphtha soap and three liters of water. Boil the mix until the soap melts down and let it cool, then add one ammonia cup and a pound of pumice then mix so that all the ingredients blend together. Apply the solution on the bricks with a brush and let it work for couple of hours. In the end brush it away then double rinse with warm water and detergent.

Heat one gallon of water and add half a cup of tri-sodium phosphate. Using a stiff brush scrub the bricks with this mix and rinse with lot of water until the grease is removed. Keep away from skin, fabrics and cloth as this is a very powerful chemical solution.

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Title:	Brick Cleaner: How To Keep Your Bricks In Perfect Shape
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Brick Cleaner: How To Keep Your Bricks In Perfect Shape