How to clean soot off brick

How to clean soot off brick. If the soot is new, wet cloth or a brush may get it off. If a simple wet cloth is not enough, baking soda is popular with soot. If baking soda is not enough, have a try with vinegar. You may use TSP to remove soot.

I saw my fireplace covered with soot. The bricks looked only the color of soot, and it made the wall and the whole fireplace look disgusting.

The layer of soot on the wall was gaunt, but it wasn’t a sight to behold. I thought that soot might be dangerous as I read about soot somewhere, and even if not dangerous to bricks, soot was not looking good at all.

I decided to clear the bricks and remove the soot on the bricks. My fireplace looked new after I removed the soot on its walls.

How to clean soot off brick

Soot on bricks makes it look disgusting. So the only way is to clean the walls and make them soot-free. But cleaning the soot is not the easiest task.

Unless you know the cleaning remedies and chemicals, fortunately, chemicals that are enemies of soot are below.

Cleaning soot from brick can be started by clearing the fireplace so that all extra material can be removed.

Simple clothes should be used to get the weak soot off the wall. After that, baking soda is applicable, or the use of vinegar can get the soot off. Lastly, you can try TNP. Read more below!

Simple cleaning

simple cleaning

Start by casually cleaning the area around the soot. The area with soot is probably your fireplace, so do not start cleaning until the fireplace is cooled down.

Wait for at least 10 hours for the fireplace to get cool. If not hot, then cleaning can begin anytime.

As the soot on the wall has formed a layer and even chemicals will take a long to break the layer, the loose soot should be taken off manually.

Get a brush and something to hold the dust, like a dustpan, to clean the fireplace first. Clean the fireplace with them.

Take charge and remove the ices of wood that are present in the place. Throw all the ash away by gathering it first. The wood will be charred, and the ashes will make your hands and clothes bad, so wear gloves and dirty clothes.

Place towels or clothes on the floor to protect them from soot. The plastic sheet is better than towels.

Cleaning the floor will be a drag, especially a carpet, so cover the whole floor properly. Use a vacuum cleaner on the walls to remove the weak soot and most of it.

Further preparation

The cleaning wasn’t the only preparation needed for the fireplace. You will need to saturate the entire wall. The wall will need water to be saturated. The step of soaking the wall is an important step.

The bricks on the wall are absorptive because of their construction. All the chemicals that you want to be soaked with for soot removal will be absorbed, and cleaning won’t be done.

To prevent the brisk from absorbing the chemicals, soaking them with water is a nice idea.

The bricks will only absorb water and reach their limit, and the chemicals you use on the walls will remain on the bricks and not get absorbed.

The soot is preset on the wall, not inside the bricks, so saturating the fireplace is a bet you must place. Soak the wall by spraying water on them using a pipe or a spray bottle.

Solution application

solution application

Solution application is actually the last thing you do, so there are multiple chemicals and solutions that can be applied to the bricks.

The bricks can be soot-free with the use of baking soda. You may use TNP ad detergents if you want. Vinegar is an astonishing option. Read all below!

  • Baking soda cleaner

baking soda cleaner

Baking soda is the safest remedy that won’t harm your walls, so apply baking soda at first. Check the wall size and make the mixture according to the wall siz

. How much baking soda mixture you make depends on the wall, but the mixture should contain 50% water and the other 50% baking soda

. The baking soda works with warm water, so use it. 5tbsp of each will be enough for a small-sized fireplace. Make a thick paste to stick on the walls and stir until you get the thick baking soda paste. Don’t let the mixture become too runny. Add more soda if it’s runny.

You have already worn a glove, so take the baking soda mixture with your hand and then rub the baking soda mixture with your hand on the wall. Don’t be hesitant.

Use a generous amount of baking soda paste on the wall. A thin layer should envelop the entire wall. Use more paste in grooves and crevices present between the bricks.

A cleaning rag can be useful for spreading the baking soda paste. Use more paste indie the fireplace to get the thickest soot out. Let the paste on the wall remain.

  • Vinegar cleaner

vinegar cleaner

The vinegar is not as recommended as baking soda as the acids inside can damage the all. The newer bricks will remain fine, but bricks that are over 20 years old are not going to be safe.

The amount of vinegar is the same as baking soda. The mixture creation of baking soda and vinegar is the same. Add the same amount of water as vinegar into a bottle that can spray.

No harsh chemicals should be in the spray bottle, and vinegar should be thoroughly shaken with warm water.

Spray the solution of vinegar all over the fireplace. Use more spray inside the fireplace as the amount of soot there will be high.

Spray vinegar without worry, as you have already placed protection on the floor. Don’t let areas with soot escape from the vinegar. Let the vinegar spray remain on the fireplace for 10 minutes at most.

  • Detergent cleaner

detergent cleaner

If baking soda did the deal, then fine, but using detergent can further increase your cleaning capability.

A special detergent or dishwashing soap that cuts the grease should be used. Simple detergents won’t remove soot, as it’s tough and slippery for normal detergents.

A quarter of grease-cutting detergent with about 3 cups of water will be enough. Use the same method for detergent as used for vinegar.

Spray thoroughly on the wall and let the detergent stay on the bricks so it can cut through the grease with time. Baking soda is better than the detergent solution.

  • TSP cleaner

tsp cleaner

The last cleaning chemical here is TSP. Trisodium phosphate is a harmful chemical, so wear goggles and gloves for using it.

One gallon of water with 8tbsp of TSP is enough for a powerful mixture. A bucket will be needed for making this mixture. Use a bucket that won’t be used for other things.

You will use a brush to apply TSP, or the spraying of TSP is also possible. Scrub the TSP on the fireplace all around.

Use TSP similar to other chemicals, as more TSP will be required for more areas. Be generous with TSP but be cautious.

Scrubbing the solutions/mixtures

All the solutions applied on the wall are still on the wall, and the time required for all chemicals is about 10 minutes. The paste shouldn’t be left on the wall for too long as it can dry.

So now the chemicals on the walls need to be scrubbed to remove the soot and the chemicals themselves. Use a brush or something to scrub the mixtures present on the walls.

Make sure the soot gets removed with your scrubbing. Keep scrubbing until all the soot on the wall start to get off. After the scrubbing is done and most of the soot on the bricks has been removed, get a soft cloth and warm water.

Spray warm water on the wall and use a soft cloth to get all the residue off the bricks. Clean it completely. Let the fireplace and the bricks dry completely.

Conclusion

If you have a fireplace that is covered with soot and the bricks are immersed in soot, making it look disgusting, then cleaning the soot is a great idea.

You just need the soot-removing chemicals and solution. The items to remove soot are not much. Just clothes and brushes are required at the most. Thanks for reading!

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