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How To Clean a Brick Fireplace

Brick fireplaces have always lit up our homes with their raw, vintage look. However, the bricks in these fireplaces can turn ugly in a matter of days if they’re not properly taken care of. So, what’s the best way to keep your brick fireplace clean all year round?

Common household items such as vinegar, borax, baking soda, and even soap are very much capable of effectively cleaning nasty stains from your brick fireplace. However, if your stains are particularly stubborn, you can use a professional fireplace cleaning solution.

Brick fireplace in the living room

Fortunately, a quick Google search can reveal a variety of methods for cleaning your brick fireplace. However, because there are so many options, you may feel confused and unsure about which method to choose. But, do not worry as our recommendations will help you thoroughly clean your brick fireplace and make it appear new.

5 Methods To Clean Your Brick Fireplace

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Due to the numerous selection of ways in which you can clean your brick fireplace, it may be hard to determine which one will do the trick. As such, we have listed the top five methods that will guarantee you quick and effective results so you can live a disease-free and healthy life!

Using Soap To Clean A Brick Fireplace

Brick fireplace in the living room

When you hear the word “cleaning,” the first thing that pops into your mind is soap. Well, it turns out that using soap is the simplest and cheapest way to clean your brick fireplace! Given how readily available soap is, if you’re seeking out a quick and easy clean-up, then it is perfect for you!

However, if you do not use soap correctly, you will be unable to remove hardened dust from your fireplace, leaving you with dissatisfying results.

This article and its contents are owned by Ready To DIY and was first published on 06/27/2022

Step-by-Step Guide To Clean Brick Fireplace With Soap

Do you want the soap to thoroughly clean and restore your brick fireplace? If you answered yes, then proceed as follows:

Step 1: First, add a few drops of liquid soap into the water.

Step 2: Rub the solution all over your fireplace.

Step 3: Next, use a microfibre towel or plastic bristle brush to scrub the surface.

Step 4: Lastly, rinse the area several times with water and dry it with a clean cloth.

Using Vinegar To Clean A Brick Fireplace

Vinegar is a common household staple that is often used for cooking purposes. However, if you have some spare vinegar to spare, you can actually put it to good use in tidying up your brick fireplace! Vinegar has a high acidic content and will undoubtedly clear the dust from your brick fireplace.

However, since vinegar can easily harm your bricks, you need to follow the correct procedure to clean your fireplace with it. Be careful with vinegar, though, as you can only use it to clean bricks that are not more than twenty years old; otherwise, it can cause irreversible damage.

Step-by-Step Guide To Clean Brick Fireplace With Vinegar

Vinegar is known as a good cleaning agent and the procedure for cleaning your brick fireplace with vinegar is quite simple:

Step 1: Find a spray bottle and mix equal parts of vinegar and water in it.

Step 2: Next, saturate the interior and outside of your fireplace.

Step 3: Allow it to sit for 2 to 5 minutes before scrubbing with a soft bristle brush in a circular path, moving in from the outside.

Step 4: Lastly, rinse it out and you’ll have a clean fireplace!

Using Borax to Clean A Brick Fireplace

Brick fireplace in the living room

When considering how to clean a brick fireplace, Borax may not be the first item that comes to mind. Nonetheless, when combined with dishwashing soap, Borax becomes an excellent substitute for a detergent that will clean and sterilize your fireplace. Other than that, Borax goes very easy on your brick fireplace – you need not worry about any kind of permanent damage!

This article and its contents are owned by Ready To DIY and was first published on 06/27/2022

Step-by-Step Guide To Clean Brick Fireplace With Borax

You will need to be careful when handling Borax because if you do not opt for the right method, you will be disappointed with the result.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on June 27, 2022.

Step 1: Mix 2 tablespoons of borax and a spritz of Dawn with 4 cups of hot water in a spray bottle.

Step 2: Give it a thorough shake before applying it to the fireplace.

Step 3: Scrub your fireplace in a circular motion with your bristle brush to remove all the stains.

Step 4: Once you are done, wipe the dirt and rinse thoroughly with water.

Using Baking Soda To Clean A Brick Fireplace

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Baking soda is a natural and non-toxic cleaning agent which is great at removing grease and dirt from various surfaces. It is also great at cleaning brick fireplaces without causing damage to the surface of the brick. However, you need to combine baking soda with another cleaning agent, such as dishwashing soap, to effectively remove all the stubborn stains from a brick fireplace.

Step-by-Step Guide To Clean Brick Fireplace With Baking Soda

If you follow the steps that I have laid out, you use baking soda to clean your fireplace very effectively.

Step 1: First, combine one-ounce Dawn of dish soap and baking soda with enough water to make a paste.

Step 2: Spread the mixture on the fireplace using a cloth or dish towel and allow it to soak for 10 minutes before scrubbing.

Step 3: Scrub the brick surface in a circular motion with a bristle brush, moving from top to bottom.

Step 4: Once you’ve all scrubbed off all the stains, thoroughly rinse the brick surface and dry it with a clean cloth.

Using A Brick Fireplace Cleaner

Brick fireplace in the living room

If you are willing to send the extra buck, you can buy a professional cleaner to remove all stubborn stains from your brick fireplace. These fireplace cleaners are widely available in the market, and they are designed particularly to clean your fireplace without damaging the surface of the fireplace.

However, you must use the fireplace cleaner correctly or you will not be able to remove the hardened dust.

Step-by-Step Guide To Clean Brick Fireplace With A Fireplace Cleaner

Even if you get your hands on a good fireplace cleaner, without employing the correct cleaning procedure you will be able to get effective results.

Step 1: Buy a good brick fireplace cleaner like Quick N Brite

Step 2: Wet a soft sponge and apply a small amount of cleaner to it.

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Step 3: Gently scrub the fireplace with the sponge in a circular motion.

Step 4: Once you have removed all the stains, rinse your brick fireplace with water and wipe it clean with a terry cloth.

Why Is It Important To Clean Your Brick Fireplace?

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As you regularly use your fireplace, soot will accumulate on the surface of the brick fireplace in the form of black stains that are not pleasant to look at. If these stains are not removed, they can cause permanent damage to the brick surface.

Moreover, the collected dust and soot can contaminate the air you breathe in and also dirty the rest of your house. That is why, aside from aesthetics, it is important to keep your brick fireplace clean so that it keeps operating safely and efficiently for a long time.

This article and its contents are owned by Ready To DIY and was first published on 06/27/2022

How Can You Maintain Your Brick Fireplace?

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Aside from cleaning your fireplace with the aforementioned solutions, these are additional tips you can keep in mind to help keep your brick fireplace in tip-top condition.

  • Use a vacuum on a regular basis to eliminate any dust that has accumulated in the fireplace.
  • Use mature woods like oaks, maple, and birch so less snoot is collected in the surface of the brick fireplace
  • Install a glass door to keep dirt and snoot from staining your carpet or upholstery.
  • Regularly inspect the chimney and its cap for snoot accumulation.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on June 27, 2022.

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