How to Clean Wet Mortar Off of a Brick Patio

Wash fresh mortar off of a brick patio before it dries.

Mortar is essentially a concrete or cement glue made of sand, water and lime, that holds brickwork together. It is applied almost like a paste between bricks, and when the bricks are joined together in this way, the mortar can become smeared over the top of the patio. Removing it when it is wet is far easier then when it is dry. But caution must be used to make sure the mortar between the bricks is not disturbed.

Things You'll Need

• Hose
• Stiff-bristled brush

Instructions

1. Keep the mortar wet by sprinkling it with a hose.

2. Scrub wet mortar with a stiff-bristled brush. Be careful to only scrub the mortar that has smeared on the patio bricks. Do not scrub the mortar in the brick joints.

3. Rinse the scrubbed mortar with a hose. It will flow off with the water.

4. Scrub the bricks again until you have removed all traces of the wet mortar.

References

• Cement Concrete & Aggregates: Removal of Mortar
• Ask the Builder: Remove Brick Mortar
• Google: Definitions of Mortar