I had serious water leaks in my chimney. The water streamed down onto and around the fireplace. This caused efflorescence to appear on the brick that borders the fireplace opening. After fixing the leaks it was time to clean the fireplace. This cleaner easily removed all of the efflorescence from the brick. As an added bonus it nearly cleaned all of the soot. Because of this I took the extra step of cleaning the inside of the firebox. Much of the soot was removed.

With all of the efflorescence removed I now realize that there are a few paint stains on the brick from the previous owners. The stains are now very visible because the brick looks like new. I guess this is my next project.

If you're interested in the steps that I took, please read on. First I laid heavy plastic tarp on the floor around the fireplace. I did not want any splashing to land on my hardwood floor. After putting on a dust mask, next I used a brush with a long handle to clean any loose efflorescence from the brick. I suggest keeping an air purifier running nearby since this step will kick up some efflorescence laden dust. Then I used plain tap water to soak the brick. I had used the same brush and a bucket of water. You'll notice the brick soak up the water right away. This step is important so that the brick does not soak up much of the cleaner. You are cleaning only the surface after all. I put on long latex gloves and safety goggles that completely surround and enclose my eyes. I used a separate bucket with about a quart of the cleaner. I brushed the cleaner on the brick using a bit of elbow grease. I brushed 2-3 coats. Let the cleaner sit for a few minutes, per the instructions on the bottle. Finally, I used fresh water to rinse the cleaner away. The bricks look like new!

We used this product to clean 170 year old brick in a loft apartment that was getting very white. It did a beautiful job. We put it in a spray bottle and sprayed the bricks a section at a time. Then we used a bucket of water and soft bristle brush on a pole and washed it down. Make sure you put plastic tarp on floor to wall. Then the next day we put a stone sealer in a spray bottle and sealed the bricks. Came out great.

I was stressed based on previous reviews and planning to use this product on a very expensive outdoor fireplace. it worked amazing with 1 coat! Wish I took before and after photos, so happy! Previous review mentioned getting brick wet first so it doesn't immediately soak it up and I agree"¦ we sprayed water on the brick, then sprayed the solution on, set a timer for 3 minutes, brushed the brick with a soft bristle brush, then sprayed water again"¦. Brick looks like new!

Wasn't sure this was going to work since using straight vinegar didn't do anything on the efflorescent area. This worked on the first application. You have to be careful and not leave in on too long. It says to leave on for 5 to 6 minutes and to repeat steps on difficult areas. Most areas only needed one application but one xmall area I applied a second coat and then went into the house. Forgot about it and left it for about an hour. It actually removed some of the color. Not a big thing since it looks like some of my other pavers. I have multi color pavers.

Excellent efforence remover on brick