How to Clean Old Brick Walls

Clean your old brick walls to remove dirt, dust and buildup.

Whether you have old brick walls are inside or outside of your home, keep them clean to preserve the beauty of the brick.

1. Dust off the brick. Use a feather duster or vacuum cleaner hose attachment to remove loose dust and dirt from interior brick walls. Rinse exterior brick walls with plain water from the garden hose.



2. Fill a bucket with 3 gallons warm water. Add 1/2 cup clear dish soap to the water. Use your hands to mix up the soap and water. Fill a separate bucket with 3 gallons of plain, warm water if you are cleaning interior brick. Exterior brick cleaning does not require the use of the second bucket of plain water.



3. Start cleaning at the top of the brick wall, working your way toward the bottom. Clean the wall in sections of about 3 to 5 feet.

4. Dip a rag into the bucket of soapy water. Wring out the rag well.



5. Scrub the bricks with the rag and soapy water. Rinse and wring out the rag often while cleaning. Use an old toothbrush dipped in the bucket of soapy water to clean the mortar between the bricks.



6. Rinse interior brick walls with a rag dipped in a bucket of plain water. Rinse and wring out the rag often to avoid reapplying dirt and soap to the walls. Rinse exterior brick walls with plain water from your garden hose, rinsing from the top of the wall toward the bottom. Allow the brick walls to air dry.



7. Use a salt and soap cream as an alternative method for cleaning brick walls. Mix equal parts liquid dish soap and table salt into a bowl. Stir the ingredients well with a spoon. Dip a rag into the bowl, and scrub the mixture onto the brick walls. Allow it to sit on the walls for 10 minutes, then rinse with a rag and plain water, or water from a garden hose if the walls are outside.