Brick is one of the most durable and beautiful facades in building construction. However, this material occasionally also requires attention. If the bricks in your building are starting to get moldy or stained from splashing water, you can make them look brand new with a little effort and a few chemicals. Bricks are hard objects.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Pressure Wash
Rent or purchase a pressure washer to remove stubborn dirt or stains. Be careful not to "scratch" the joints or bricks when using this method.
Step 1. Gather all the materials before you start this task
You will need a bucket, bleach, floor brush, water hose, or pressure washer.
Step 2. Make a solution by mixing bleach and water in equal proportions
Step 3. Apply the solution using the applicator bottle or brush
Step 4. Wet the bricks in small, treatable areas
Step 5. Rub the bricks before they dry
Step 6. Rinse the bricks
Now your bricks are clean.
Method 2 of 2: Using Hands and Slang
Step 1. Find out the type of dirt and stains on the brick
Moss, mildew, or algae require different methods and chemicals than stains caused by cement, rust, and mortar (mix sand, cement, and lime to attach bricks).
Step 2. Clean the bricks with a chlorine bleach solution if you have mildew or mold problems
- Mix the chlorine bleach and water in a large bucket, in equal proportions.
- Put this mixture in a pump-type sprayer. Next, pump the tool.
- Wet the walls (or patio if you're cleaning paving) with a water hose.
- Spray the bleach solution on the brick surface, starting at the top of the wall, until everything is wet.
- Allow the bleach solution to work on the stain for a few minutes, but don't leave it on too long to prevent the surface from drying out.
- Rinse a small section of the wall to check if the solution produces the desired effect.
- To clean stubborn stains, scrub the walls with pure bleach, using a brush with a long handle like a broom.
- Rinse the walls thoroughly with water. Be careful not to let the bleach solution dry on the walls before you rinse them.
Step 3. Use an acid solution to clean the mortar stains
An acid solution can also be used to remove rust caused by well water, or dirt from soil that cannot be removed with a bleach solution.
- Purchase a special acid detergent for bricks or muriatic acid at a hardware, home, or hardware store. (Read the Warnings below before you buy or use muriatic acid solution.)
- Put clean water into a plastic bucket up to 2/3 of the way. Add acid in a ratio of about 1 part acid to 3 parts water, but don't overfill the bucket to prevent accidental spilling of the solution.
- Use a garden hose to wet a wall or other surface.
- Rub the diluted acid solution against the wall. Scrub the surface of the brick with a brush to apply the solution.
- After applying the acid solution to the brick and scrubbing it, let the acid work for 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to let the walls dry.
- After the acid solution has worked for the allotted time, rinse the bricks thoroughly with plenty of water.
Step 4. Rinse all surfaces affected by the cleaning solution mentioned above
Use plenty of water to rinse off the cleaning solution to prevent damage to brick or plant surfaces.
Step 5. Try using a sealant on the brick to prevent stains and dirt
Use a siloxane (siloxane) or silicone based sealant, and apply according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Tips
- Wear old clothes, protective eyewear, and rubber gloves when applying the cleaning solutions mentioned above.
- Do the cleaning when the wind is not blowing so that the spray does not fly in an unwanted direction.
- If possible, do the cleaning in the shaded area, or on the shaded side of the cleaned brick wall.
Warning
- Do not let the acid solution or bleach get on the skin.
- Do not inhale the concentrated vapors escaping from the cleaning solution.
- Never mix acid with bleach when you are cleaning.
- Wear protective glasses.
- The Brick Industry Association advises against using unbuffered muriatic acid as it can cause severe staining of some types of brick, and may damage mortar joints. This acid is also very difficult to remove from bricks and can cause problems years later. The problem also won't go away even if you add water to the muriatic acid. However, special detergents for bricks (even if they use acids) contain buffered chemicals which make them safer, easier to use properly and more environmentally friendly.”
