How do you remove soot stains from brick?

Answer 1

Try Oileaters. It is a wonderful product.I have used it on my driveway concrete with wonderful results..no more oil stains! I purchased it at Costco or Sam's Club, but I have seen it also at Auto Part stores and supermarkets. If that does not get the stain out completely, try Oil Gone Easy S-200, a new bioremediation product that literally eats the oil. I got good results.

Answer 2

It is important that you carefully plan your clean up procedures in this process, especially when cleaning up soot, smoke residue or ashes from your fireplace. Soot, a carbonized deposit, can stain very quickly if liquefied through liquid chemical removal. Therefore, you want to remove as much smoke residue as you can through a dry method. Be aware that India ink, a permanent dye, is nothing more than carbon black mixed into a solvent medium. So be careful. Your first step is vacuum, sweep, or wire brush the entire fireplace and surrounding affected area out. Be sure to use a quick 'flicking' motion with a brush and duster. Also,keep the vacuum head about 1/4 inch away from surface to avoid scratching. Wear old clothes, rubber gloves, a Baseball cap, a disposable paper dust mask (available at any hardware store) and safety goggles during this process, especially when removing any loose particles. DO NOT RUB! If you start wiping down or rubbing this type of soil off with rags, the black pigment will smear and spread beyond your wildest imagination. Be sure to place newspapers under affected surfaces during this process so excess soot can fall on it and be disposed of easily. Dry removal method requires buying a "professional" chemically treated soot sponge, available at janitorial supply stores. This tool is a 2" x 3" x 6" "special" dry chemically impregnated sponge which scoops up and absorbs dirt and soot into it's pores. Use until the sponge gets filthy dirty and then switch wiping area to a cleaner part of sponge. When it's filthy on all sides, remove surface layer by shaving dirty level with a razor blade to expose a new sponge surface. Do Notwring out sponge with water or clean it or you will ruin the chemical treatment. When finished remove the newspapers carefully. After you have removed as much of the smoke residue dry with both vacuuming (dusting or brushing) and the dry, chemically treated sponge, then put down a plastic drop cloth and wash these same surfaces with a warm, mild solution of a water soluble citrus cleaner degreaser. Apply liberally, according to directions, onto surface and agitate with a hard bristle scrub brush. Be sure to use a plastic drop cloth under work area to avoid staining of unaffected areas. Wash and wipe down surfaces with a regular, wet sponge. Wash and wipe down surfaces with a clean, terry cloth towel. Then, rinse with water, and wipe dry again. If necessary, you may want to repeat "wet" procedure. After drying, you may wish to further "lighten" up brick work by dabbing onto the stone with a clean "normal" sponge a weak dilution of a bleach dilution mixed at 1 part bleach with 4 to 6 parts cool water. Bleach contains optional brightener and may bring out the accent of the brickwork even better. Note: Always test an inconspicuous area for colorfastness, etc. before treating the exposed area. Also note that certain stains are permanent

Answer 3

Thats a tough one. Bricks are absorbant. Part of the bond comes from having pores for the mortar to penetrate. The contractor should have spread sand or hay over the select fill dirt. You may not get it to come clean.