How To Clean Soot From Bricks Above The Fireplace

Removing the soot from your fireplace is not difficult with the help of a cleaner. But it can get a little messy if you're not careful. Follow these steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drop cloth, towels or plastic to protect the floor
• Rubber gloves to protect your hands
• Scrub brush
• Foaming spray bathroom cleaner
• Sponge
• Bucket
• Water

1. Place drop cloth, towel or plastic on the floor under your work area.

2. Fill the bucket with warm water.

3. Begin cleaning. Work from the top of the sooty brick wall down.

4. Saturate the sponge with water and thoroughly wet an area of the wall.

5. Spray the foaming bathroom cleaner liberally over the wet area.

6. Take the scrub brush and scrub the foam cleaner into the brick. The foam will take on the color of the fireplace soot.

7. Dip the sponge into the clean water and wash the foam away. You will see a noticeable difference in the brick. For tougher fireplace soot buildups, repeat the process.

Tips & Warnings

• To save time, use two sponges and two buckets of water. It may be easier to use one for rinse water and the other to collect the dirty soot runoff.