Brick is visually appealing because it looks naturally distressed, but you don't want it to get to the point of looking too distressed. Whether it be oil and grease stains on brick pavers, moss on the side of your house, smoke and soot surrounding your fireplace, or general dirt and grime on an interior brick wall, you can improve your home improvement game by deep cleaning your brick surfaces about once a year.

Exterior brick surfaces can afford more cleaning options, while an indoor wall or fireplace usually requires cleaning by hand.

Cleaning methods involving muriatic acid require the use of full safety gear - rubber gloves, safety glasses and a respirator. Muriatic acid, as well as bleach, can stain or discolor many colors of brick and corrode aluminum window frames. Overspray or spills can damage nearby surfaces.

You can use Simple Green Oxy Solve Concrete and Driveway Cleaner to clean brick walls, pavers, patios and more with or without a pressure washer. It removes oil, grease, grime and most stains and discolorations. Its biodegradable formula is safer for lawns and pets.The non-corrosive and non-degrading formula utilizes the natural power of peroxide to provide high-performance cleaning and stain removal without toxic or abrasive chemicals. It also contains Direct Release ingredients, which are specifically identified by the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Program to have ultra-low aquatic toxicity values, and are safer for immediate contact with aquatic life or other sensitive environments. Therefore, it is a safer outdoor cleaner than most.

Directions for Cleaning Brick:

It's best to clean exterior brick on a cloudy day. The cooler it is outside, the less you will have to worry about your cleaner evaporating or drying on the surface. Spray all nearby plants, shrubs and grass with clean water before cleaning.

Pressure Washer Application:

1. Wet. Use a garden hose to thoroughly wet the brick surface before cleaning.
2. Prepare your cleaner. Drop the siphon tube and filter of your pressure washer into the Simple Green container or pour full strength Simple Green Oxy Solve Concrete and Driveway Cleaner into the detergent reservoir.
3. Apply Simple Green. Use the pressure washer's detergent setting to spray Simple Green onto the bricks. Be careful not to use pressure above 3,000 psi. Higher pressure can damage the surface of the brick and actually wash away the joint sand between bricks.
4. Soak. Allow the cleaner to soak the surface for 3-5 minutes. Do not allow the cleaner to dry on the surface before rinsing.
5. Rinse with clean water. Rinse using your pressure washer's high pressure setting.
6. Rinse surrounding areas. Use a garden hose to saturate plants, shrubs and grass after cleaning to wash away any residue.

Manual Application:

1. Wet. Use a garden hose to thoroughly wet the brick surface before cleaning.
2. Mix your cleaning solution. Mix 1 measure of Simple Green Oxy Solve Concrete and Driveway Cleaner with 20 measures of water in a bucket (example: 1.5 cups Simple Green and 2 gallons water).
3. Apply your Simple Green solution with a scrub brush. Gently scrub with a deck brush, stiff broom or nylon-bristle brush to apply the cleaner in sections. Don't let it dry on the surface before rinsing. Don't scrub the brick with a wire brush, as this can leave bits of metal behind that will rust and stain the bricks.
4. Allow each section to soak for a few minutes. Allow the cleaner to sit on the surface for 3-5 minutes.
5. Rinse with clean water. Rinse with a garden hose at the highest pressure.
6. Repeat. Move to a new section and repeat.

TIP: After cleaning, seal your bricks with a siloxane or silane-based sealer.