How to Clean Brick on Your Interior and Exterior Surfaces

If you have a home made from brick or you have interior brick features, you know that it is a durable, low-maintenance material that can stand the test of time. You'll even find that you rarely need to clean it, apart from a few specific instances—think a sooty brick fireplace or mildew growth on exterior brick. Fortunately, in these cases, brick is fairly easy to clean. Ahead, we spoke with experts to learn how to clean brick the right way as well as tips for maintaining it.

How Often You Should Clean Brick

The great thing about brick is that you really shouldn't need to clean it often—or at all. "It's not important to clean bricks regularly, other than for aesthetic reasons," says James Jennings, president of Brick Doctor. "Clean brick and mortar simply look better—just like clean siding and driveways—so some do prefer washing their brick occasionally."

If you do find that you have stains on your interior or exterior brick, like soot stains in the fireplace or dirt and algae stains on your exterior brick, it's easy to occasionally clean brick. In some cases, certain stains can alert you to a structural problem that needs addressing. "For example, efflorescence [salt deposits] can actually be your best friend by way of notifying you that you are getting bulk water into the walls that could be causing other damage like corroding metal fasteners or anchors," says Jake Boyer, vice president of sales for Prosoco. "This allows you to address the source of water ingress and prevent other issues before cleaning the efflorescence off the wall."

How to Clean Interior Brick

Have a brick fireplace, exposed wall, or kitchen island in need of cleaning? Follow the below instructions.

Tools and Materials Needed

• Bucket with warm water
• Masonry sponge
• Soft-bristle masonry cleaning brush
• Mild soap (optional)

Instructions

1. Assess the brickwork—check for any signs of damage like loose mortar or large cracks. Address any structural issues before cleaning.
2. Move furniture away from the brick surface you intend to clean so you have space to move around.
3. Dip your masonry sponge into the bucket of warm water. In most cases, all you will need is warm water, but if there are especially tough stains, you may want to drop a couple of drops of mild dish soap into the bucket.
4. Gently clean the brick with your masonry sponge and water or water-and-soap mixture.
5. For any particularly hard stains, gently scrub with a soft-bristled masonry brush.
6. Rinse the brick with clean, warm water and your sponge.

How to Clean Exterior Brick

If you're looking to clean your home's exterior brick walls, you'll want to make sure that you have a solid grasp of the type of stain you're trying to clean, first. "Know the substrate (brick, stone, and mortar), and know what the stain is you are trying to remove," says Jennings. "Dirt or algae usually can be removed easily. Rust and several other types of stains need special care and professional input."

Tools and Materials Needed

• Pressure washer with 25 or 40-degree nozzle/tip
• Specialized surface cleaner (optional)
• Masonry sponge
• Soft-bristled masonry brush
• Water repellent (optional)

Instructions

1. Assess the brickwork—make sure there are no structural issues like large cracks, loose mortar, unfilled mortar joints, hairline cracks, or through-wall penetrations, and address those issues first.
2. If using a specialized cleaner, test it in an inconspicuous area first to make sure it doesn't cause any discoloration or damage.
3. Spot-clean any particularly tough stains first with your sponge. Gently scrub with your brush if needed.
4. Pre-wet the brick surface using your pressure washer on low pressure. Skip this step if you are only pressure washing the surface with water.
5. Add your specialized cleaner to the pressure washer's detergent tank, if using.
6. Using low pressure, begin using your pressure washer to spray your brick surface. You'll want to stay under 2000 psi while cleaning.
7. When finished, rinse your brick with clean water at low pressure, especially if you used a specialized cleaning agent.
8. Allow the surface to dry fully.
9. If desired, once the surface is dry, you can apply a protective water repellent.

Tips for Maintaining Your Brick Surfaces

Thankfully, most brick these days is designed not to need significant cleaning or maintenance. "Most hard-fired brick, such as all Acme Brick, is designed to require no maintenance at all if used as per manufacturer's stated purpose (such as brick veneer on residential homes)," says Jennings.

But, if you have very soft or porous brick, both experts suggest applying a water repellent to the brick. "Soft or porous brick such as Mexican adobe or Old Chicago brick may require application of a proprietary water repellent to keep it cleaner and long-lasting such as Prosoco's Weather Seal Siloxane PD," Jennings says.

Boyer agrees, noting that the best thing a homeowner can do to keep brick clean is to apply a water repellent. "A protective treatment, also sometimes called a water repellent, allows brick walls to shed bulk water, which reduces or eliminates the potential for that water to solubilize other staining elements and bring those stains out to the visible surface of the wall," says Boyer.