How To Clean Fireplace Brick

If you’ve got soot stains on your fireplace’s hearth or brick facade, we’ll show you how to get rid of the unsightly black discoloration and smell of smoke.

Written by Brenda Woods Updated 11/18/2024

A brick fireplace can be the perfect living room centerpiece, but it can also be difficult to clean. No matter how well you maintain your fireplace, soot will inevitably accumulate on the hearth and facade. Since bricks are porous—their surface is covered with small holes—cleaning them isn’t as simple as wiping the soot away.

However, there are a few tricks to make cleaning a brick fireplace much easier. In our step-by-step guide below, we’ll show you how to clean fireplace brick yourself, but if you need some cleaning help, you can always call a professional company like The Cleaning Authority.

1. Clear Out the Fireplace

Before you can eliminate soot stains and smoke odors, you’ll first need to clear out your fireplace as follows:

Make sure you start with a completely cold fireplace.
When you’re ready to clean, remove the grate and any leftover ashes.
Use a vacuum with a brush attachment to remove as much soot and dust as possible.

2. Get the Fireplace Bricks Wet

It’s much easier to clean your fireplace if you get the bricks wet first. Follow these steps:

Since you’re working inside your home, put a waterproof drop cloth down. Don’t skip this step.
Saturate the bricks with plain water using a masonry sponge—which you can find at most hardware stores—or a spray bottle. The porous brick will absorb the water, ensuring your soap or cleaning solution stays toward the surface instead of sinking into the bricks.
Apply a cleanser and scrub. (We’ll talk more about this in the upcoming steps.)

3. Mix Your Fireplace Brick Cleaning Solution

You have several options for cleaning solutions. Which one you choose will depend on your bricks’ age and the extent of the soot stains.

Dishwashing Detergent

Generally, you should start with the mildest possible cleanser and see if that will remove the bulk of the soot. In this case, start with 1/4 cup of clear, grease-cutting dish soap diluted in 4 cups of water. This cleanser is gentle enough to use safely even on older bricks.

Scrubbing Bubbles

Scrubbing Bubbles and other foaming bathroom cleaners were formulated for nonporous ceramic surfaces, but some homeowners swear by them when cleaning brick. You may need to leave these cleaners for 15–20 minutes before scrubbing.

Vinegar

Distilled white vinegar is another cleanser option, though it is acidic enough to damage bricks older than about 20 years, so use it carefully. Mix equal parts vinegar and warm water to form this cleaning solution. You can also add dishwashing detergent, though only a small amount—about 2 tablespoons to every gallon.

Stronger Cleaners

If you use the above cleaners but still have soot stains, consider using stronger detergents. However, keep in mind that these may damage older or fragile bricks. Wear gloves and eye protection and ensure good ventilation if you use stronger cleaning solutions. Here are some options for removing stubborn stains on brick:

Mix 1/2 cup of ammonia with 4 cups of water and 1/4 cup dish soap.
Mix 1/8 cup trisodium phosphate (TSP) with 1 gallon of hot water.
Mix 2 tablespoons of borax with 4 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of dish soap.

In the video below, Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough demonstrates how to clean the soot out of brick using acid.

Watch this video to learn more about cleaning fireplace brick with acid.

4. Scrub the Fireplace Bricks

Once you’ve decided on your cleaning solution, you can spray and scrub your bricks as follows:

Put gentler cleaners in a spray bottle and spritz them directly onto the fireplace bricks. If you don’t have a spray bottle—or you’re using TSP—mix your cleaning solution in a bucket and apply it to the bricks with a sponge or paintbrush.
Work top to bottom so dirty water doesn’t drip down and cause streaks on areas you’ve already cleaned.
Working in small areas to keep the bricks from drying out, scrub the surface with a firm, plastic-bristled scrub brush in a circular motion.
If the soot stains don’t appear to be coming out, lightly reapply the cleaning solution and give it a few minutes to work before scrubbing.

5. Rinse the Fireplace Bricks

Next, you’ll need to rinse the bricks as follows:

Once you’ve scrubbed a small area, rinse it before moving on.
Use a sponge dipped in clean water to rinse each spot several times.
Change out the water if the rinsing water in your bucket becomes dirty or soapy.

6. Spot Clean Any Remaining Soot Stains

After you’ve cleaned large areas with the solutions above, you may need to spot clean any particularly stubborn soot stains that remain. Follow these steps:

Create a paste of either baking soda or cream of tartar mixed with a small amount of water.
Apply the paste to the remaining soot and let it sit for 5–10 minutes.
Scrub with a firm toothbrush or small scrub brush and rinse.

7. Call the Fireplace Cleaning Pros

If soot stains persist, don’t be afraid to call a professional service like The Cleaning Authority, a leading provider of cleaning services in 45 states. Visit The Cleaning Authority’s website to explore its offerings and get a free quote on its services.

Our Conclusion

The more often you use your fireplace, the more often you’ll need to clean it. If a gentler cleaner doesn’t work, you may need to repeat your efforts or move on to a more aggressive cleaning solution. But with the right cleaning routine and our step-by-step guide, you can enjoy an immaculate fireplace year-round.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.