Easy Steps to Clean Brick Homes

 

Brick homes are chosen by house owners because of its durability, appealing look and also having the ability to increase the resale value of the house in future. It is very important for every house owner to clean their brick home regularly because it can attract dirt, mold, mildew and debris especially if the bricks have small cracks and resulted to the bricks to become grimier. Therefore by cleaning the bricks, it will further improve the appearance of your house and make it last longer in terms of structural integrity. If you neglect to clean your brick house, it can result to the mortar between your bricks to become disintegrate and may cause your house to collapse or even make your walls crumbling. You can simply make use of your basic cleaning solutions and materials whenever you want to clean your bricks. Below are some of the things that you would be able to learn in order to maintain your brick homes.

To clean brick homes, you need:

  • Painter’s plastic
  • Garden hose
  • Nozzle
  • Hose cleaning spray
  • Synthetic scrub brush
  • Chisel
  • Bleach
  • Water
  • Mortar mix
  • Garden clippers
  • Non-metallic spatula
  • Bucket
  • Rubber gloves
  • Goggles

Cleaning Brick Homes

Easy Steps for Cleaning Brick Homes

  • First thing that you need to do is to gather suitable equipment before starting to do the cleaning of your brick homes.
    • Make sure you protect your nearby plants, dirt and trees with painter’s plastic or you can even use several tarps.
    • Use a nozzle that has a strong stream along with cleaning solutions that can be attached to the hose. For example, you can use Mold Armor House Wash or DR House Wash Spray which is considered safe to be used on brick material. Both of them can be used in quick cleaning style when you do your cleaning task.
    • You must lay the painter’s plastic over your small plants and over all dirt areas. If you have large trees or shrubs, you can place the painter’s plastic around the base, plus also over the dirt and roots.
    • All the windows of your house must also be closed and start to clean your brick home on once side before starting on the other side.
  • The next step is for you to attach the nozzle onto your hose before turning its setting to the strongest spray level.
    • You can start your cleaning by washing any of the loose dirt and debris that you notice from your house.

Always ensure to avoid your skin to be in contact whenever you are using acid or bleach. Both of the solutions must also not be mixed when you clean the bricks. Avoid breathing concentrated vapors produced by both of the cleaning solutions.

  • After that, you can fasten the cleaning solution onto your hose by removing the nozzle and then screwing it securely.
    • Then, you can squeeze the trigger to start your cleaning task from the top half of your brick home.
    • You can use a sweeping motion moving from the left to right before proceeding to move down the lower bricks in rows.

 

  • Once done, you have to unscrew the cleaning solution from your hose and reattach the nozzle back in order for you to rinse off the soap along with any other remaining dirt still visible on your bricks.
    • The above mentioned three steps should be repeated similarly for the remaining sides of your house.

If you want to remove the painter’s plastic once you finished doing the cleaning, make sure it is done in a gentle manner. Avoid any soap from falling on the dirt, plants or flowers.

  • If you notice signs of Efforescence (a chalky deposit) that starts to occur on the surface of your bricks, you need to clean them with a stiff brush.
    • The gradual growth of salt crystals that come from the brick which in the end will move toward the brick’s surface every time water managed to penetrates the bricks.
    • If you encounter stubborn Efforescence, you need to use a chemical cleaning agent in order to remove it.
  • Next, you should check your brick homes for any mold or moss.
    • You simple need to scrap off the mold or moss off from your home by using a non-metallic spatula. We do not recommend the usage of metal spatula because it can damage and scratch your bricks.
  • Then, you need to mix a cup of bleach together with a gallon of water inside a bucket.
    • This mixture of bleach solution will help you kill off the growth of mold spores and moss.
    • Use a brush and dip it into the solution before you can start scrubbing the moldy bricks. The brush should be occasionally dipped into the bleach solution while you are scrubbing the bricks.
    • Once you finished doing this method for all your brick homes, you need to rinse off the bleach solution by using your garden hose. Spray the bricks with water and then leave them to air-dry to see the end result of your work.

    Always remember that whenever you want to clean your brick homes,

    • You must protect yourself by wearing protective gear such as old clothing, rubber gloves and goggles whenever you apply cleaning solutions onto your brick homes.
    • Make sure that when your start spraying any of the solutions, there is minimal wind in order to prevent spray from going astray especially to unwanted areas. If it is possible, always work in shaded areas.
    • Make sure that you read the label of your cleaning product’s accordingly before using the solution to clean your brick homes. Always check for safety content of the product or ensuring that it is a non-toxic formula.
    • If you have experience in using power-washer, you can use it instead of the garden hose especially for extremely dirty walls. However, you must not use power-washer if you have crumbling bricks or near windows.
    • Avoid using a wire brush to clean brick homes because it can leave traces of steel once you finished the task that will rust and change the color of your bricks.

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