How To Clean Brick Fireplace [2 Best Ways]

You probably don’t want your friends to notice dirt around your fireplace bricks which hides the real beauty of your fireplace.

The cleaning part is easy and simple yet most people can’t figure out the right way to clean all the dirt.

Well, before cleaning the dirt around bricks, you should remove the ash and soot from your fireplace.

Just grab any ash vacuum cleaner and clear the whole fireplace before moving to the next step. Only vacuum ash that is completely cold: ashes can stay hot enough to reignite for many days.

What You’ll Need To Clean Brick Fireplace

• Spray bottle
• White vinegar
• Dish soap
• Baking soda
• Bristle brush
• Ash vacuum cleaner
• Cloth

📍 Note: If you need any of the items above, I have linked directly to the best products on Amazon.

Cleaning A Brick Fireplace With Baking Soda & Dish Soap

This is the most commonly used method and it works like a charm.

1. Mix one ounce of baking soda and dish soap and add a bit of water
2. Grab a cloth and cover the bricks with the “magic mix” you’ve just made
3. Wait ten minutes
4. Scrub the bricks with a bristle brush in a clockwise motion
5. Rinse and repeat
6. Let it dry for an hour

How To Clean Brick Fireplace With Vinegar

📍 Note: My recommendation is to NOT use this method for bricks older than 20 years.

1. Mix water and vinegar and pour it into a spray bottle
2. Spray the bricks with this mix and wait for 5 minutes
3. Once you’ve waited, spray again and scrub it with a brush in a clockwise motion.
4. Rinse the bricks and wipe them down
5. If you haven’t cleaned it properly, combine two tablespoons of baking soda and a bit of water into a spray bottle.
6. Spray down the bricks once again
7. Let them dry for an hour.

How To Clean Newer Bricks 

If you haven’t cleaned the bricks for a long time, a good choice is to use ammonia – only use it for newer bricks.

Ammonia is very strong, so you should wear gloves and goggles for safety reasons. Open a window, and never mix it with bleach or other cleaners: mixing ammonia and bleach makes toxic chloramine gas.

Follow these steps when cleaning with ammonia:

1. Mix a little bit of ammonia and dish soap and add 4 cups of warm water to a spray bottle
2. Spray the bricks and wait for 10 minutes
3. Scrub the bricks with a wet brush
4. Repeat until you’re satisfied with how clean they are

Tips For Cleaning A Brick Fireplace

Although cleaning bricks is a straightforward process, I want you to add a couple of additional tips that will help you finish everything properly.

• Test any cleaner on a small, hidden patch of brick first
• Always clean ash from your fireplace before starting to clean between bricks
• Never use “aggressive” methods (ammonia) for older bricks
• Clean your brick fireplace when soot starts to show

It’s often boring to clean it, but don’t think it isn’t important.

If you found the article helpful, then you should check out our article on How To Clean Fireplace Glass Doors Quickly.