Cleaning interior brick

[jerry717]

Hi all,

I am about to fully rebuild my family room by tearing out the old paneling and replacing with drywall. I am also putting in a wood floor. Since I am doing all of this I would like to be able to clean one wall that is all brick. It is an 18' wall that is over 8 1/2' tall. I do not want to use an acid wash. There is a mantle on the wall that I can not remove because it was built in place. I also have a marble hearth that I do not want to ruin. This house was built in 1965 and I'm sure that the brick has never been cleaned. Is there a product out there that I can use to clean this brick that would not be to big of a mess and cause destruction? I have placed a picture below... click on it to see a larger view.

Thank you in advance.

Jerry

[Davy]

You might havta scub it down by hand. Wrap the hearth and mantle with plastic and tape. Maybe someone else has a better idea.

[jerry717]

Thanks Davy. I am planning to scrub it by hand. I was hoping for a recomendation on a product that is made for cleaning brick that is not acidic and can be safely used indoors. I can remove the marble. It is not set other than by it's own weight. I am also planning to remove the fireplace surround and doors. Would it also help to seal the brick and mortar after cleaning and what should be used? Possibly one or more of these?
http://www.stonetechstore.com/
I'm just a bit uncertain as to how well I will be able to rinse...

Jerry

[Davy]

Does the brick absorb water easily? If it does, I probably wouldn't want to use soap. If it only has dust in the rough pores of the brick then maybe hot water would be best. We have tile and grout cleaners that would work, just not sure about rinsing it off.

It would be nice to be able to power wash it.

[jerry717]

It would be nice to be able to power wash it.

Ha! I would love to be able to [power wash] but my wife would kill me. I have used a power washer on the outside of my house and it worked great! The brick is not really porous but it does have a sculptured surface. Do the products that you sell require complete rinsing?

There are a few places that will require something tougher than just plain hot water.

Thanks again Davy, hope you enjoy the holiday!
Jerry

[Davy]

I'd want to rinse it. That way you aren't just moving dirt from one crevise to another. How bout a pump up spray bottle? would it leave too much water behind if you rinsed with it ?

[jerry717]

Well... a presurized spray bottle is a good idea. I also have two 16 gallon shop vacs handy. Anyway, I'll think I'll give http://www.stonetechstore.com/prodde...prod=KA12%2D32 this stuff a try unless anyone objects. If it doesn't work I have plenty of tile to clean.


Thanks,
Jerry

[Davy]

Good luck, Jerry.

[Bugman]

I would try a pressurized spray bottle (don't know what to mix with the water) and come right behind with a wet vac. Kind of the same idea of shampooing carpet - spray the cleaner on and suck it right back up with the dirt. I may try this on some of the brick I have inside.

[jerry717]

Well, Thanks for the help!
I placed the order for the cleaner today. I'll try diluting it to the minimum first and test it to see how it works. Hopefully next weekend... I'll let you know how it goes...

Cheers,

Jerry