What Is Brick Cleaning and What Does It Cost?

Brick cleaning removes dirt, mortar smears, stains, salts and organic growth from brickwork, using anything from a stiff brush and water to diluted acid and controlled high-pressure rinsing. There is no standard price: cost depends mainly on the area, access (especially height), the type of brick and stain, the method, and the protection and runoff controls needed. The fair way to compare is several written quotes against the same scope, after a site inspection and a test patch. The rinsing method matters for the mortar and the brick surface, and our guide explains the difference between power washing and pressure washing.

On commercial buildings and strata schemes, brick cleaning covers facades, retaining and garden walls, brick paving, car park walls and stair cores. The method matters: the wrong acid strength or too much pressure can permanently stain bricks or erode mortar joints.

What does brick cleaning remove?

• General dirt and grime from traffic, pollution and weather.
• Mortar smears and residue left after building or repair work.
• Efflorescence – a white, powdery deposit of soluble salts. Think Brick Australia’s cleaning manual notes it is “not a stain” and recommends dry brushing and vacuuming; rinsing with water can cause the salt to be reabsorbed.
• Vanadium stains – marks that can turn black if treated with hydrochloric acid. The Think Brick manual says they should be identified and removed first, and that they are not permanent or harmful and do not indicate a defect in the brick.
• Acid burn (iron oxide staining) – a rust-like yellow-to-brown stain, most visible on light-coloured bricks, often caused by poor pre-wetting or acid that is too strong.
• Moss, algae and lichen on shaded or damp walls and paving.
• Graffiti, paint, oil and rust – usually needing specific products.

Identifying the stain before choosing a method is the single most important step.

Brick cleaning methods

Dry brushing and low-pressure water. The gentlest option, and the right starting point for efflorescence and light dirt.

Detergent or proprietary brick cleaners. For general grime and some organic growth, applied and rinsed at low pressure.

Acid cleaning. Diluted hydrochloric acid (sold as brick acid or pool acid) is the traditional way to remove mortar residue from new clay brickwork. It is effective but unforgiving (see the next section). Some stains need other products entirely, and acid is not suitable for every brick, stone or adjoining material.

High-pressure water. Used to rinse after chemical treatment or to remove loose dirt, at controlled settings. Think Brick Australia recommends keeping pump pressure to around 7,000–8,000 kPa (1,000–1,200 psi) on clay brickwork, holding the nozzle about 500 mm from the wall (never closer than 300 mm for localised patches), using a 15-degree fan jet, and never using a zero-degree jet or turbo/rotary head. It also says mortar should be at least three days old before high-pressure cleaning, and that acid should not be applied under high pressure.

Specialist methods. Older, heritage or soft bricks may need gentler methods. Get specialist advice before cleaning heritage-listed or historically significant brickwork.

Acid brick cleaning: how to do it safely

Acid cleaning causes most brick-cleaning damage and most of the safety risk. Think Brick Australia’s Clay Masonry Cleaning Manual sets out the key steps:

1. Test first. Clean a small, inconspicuous area and let it dry before judging the result.
2. Saturate the wall. Hose the brickwork thoroughly before any acid goes on, until the bricks stop absorbing water. The manual says pre-wetting does not weaken the acid; it stops the acid being drawn into the brick.
3. Dilute correctly. No stronger than 1 part acid to 20 parts water for light-coloured bricks, and 1 part acid to 10 parts water for other clay bricks. Pour acid into water, never water into acid.
4. Work in small areas (the manual suggests about 2–6 m² at a time) and limit acid contact time to a few minutes (the manual gives up to 3–6 minutes, less for some bricks).
5. Never let acid dry on the wall. Hose off thoroughly as you go.
6. Protect everything around it. Mask and protect metal, glass, timber, powder-coated fixtures, painted surfaces and coloured concrete.

WHS duties. The Think Brick manual describes hydrochloric acid as a corrosive, scheduled poison. Under WHS laws in NSW, a current safety data sheet (SDS) must be obtained before any hazardous chemical is used, containers must be correctly labelled, safety equipment must be provided to anyone who needs it, and there must be a way to contain spills and leaks (SafeWork NSW). Safe Work Australia’s duties guidance adds that risks must be identified, assessed and controlled, and that no one may be exposed to a hazardous chemical above the exposure standard. (Safe Work Australia notes that workplace exposure standards are transitioning to workplace exposure limits, which take effect on 1 December 2026.)

On an occupied commercial or strata site, that means asking the contractor for the SDS for every product, their PPE and first-aid arrangements, how they will keep residents, staff and the public clear, and their safe work method statement if the work is at height. SafeWork NSW requires a SWMS for construction work where a person could fall more than two metres.

Runoff: protect the stormwater drains

Acid, detergent, mortar slurry and dirt washed off brickwork must not go into stormwater. NSW EPA guidance is that chemicals, oils, paints and litter don’t belong in the stormwater drain, and that washdown should happen in areas that don’t drain to stormwater. Before work starts, agree how stormwater pits will be covered, how wash water will be captured and disposed of, and how gardens and adjoining paving will be protected. Your local council may have additional requirements, and pollution incidents can be reported to council or the NSW Environment Line on 131 555.

What affects brick cleaning cost?

There is no standard price list for brick cleaning. Online marketplace price guides exist, but the ones we checked don’t say how their figures were derived or when they were last current, so we don’t quote them. These are the factors that drive any quote:

• Area and layout – square metres of brickwork, and how much detailing, piers and returns there are.
• Access – ground-level walls cost less than multi-storey facades that need scaffolding, elevating work platforms or rope access, plus a SWMS.
• Brick type and age – light-coloured, soft, older or heritage bricks need weaker solutions, more testing and more care.
• Stain type – efflorescence may only need brushing; mortar smears, vanadium, rust, paint or graffiti may need specific products and more time.
• Method – acid treatment involves pre-wetting, small work areas, neutralising and thorough rinsing; it takes longer than a simple wash.
• Protection and runoff controls – masking windows, frames and fixtures; covering drains; capturing and disposing of wash water.
• Site constraints – working around residents, tenants, trading hours, traffic or car park access can mean staging or after-hours work.
• Add-ons – repointing, minor brick repairs or sealers are separate scopes. Sealers are not right for every wall, so ask for the manufacturer’s guidance.

To compare quotes fairly, give every contractor the same written scope, ask each one to state the method, products, dilution, access equipment and runoff controls, and ask for a test patch before the full job.

Commercial and strata brickwork: what to plan for

Strata schemes. External brick walls, retaining walls and common driveways are often common property. In NSW the owners corporation must repair and maintain common property, and owners corporations must prepare a 10-year capital works fund plan that forecasts major repairs. Building periodic brick and facade cleaning into that plan avoids reactive, one-off jobs.

Commercial buildings. Entries and street-facing facades shape how tenants and customers see a building. Car park and loading dock walls collect grime and tyre marks. Schedule cleaning around trading hours and traffic.

After building work. New brickwork usually needs a post-construction clean to remove mortar residue. Confirm the brick manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations before any acid is used.

Questions to ask a brick cleaning contractor

• What is the stain, and how did you identify it?
• What method, product and dilution will you use, and can I see the SDS?
• Will you do a test patch first?
• What pressure, nozzle and distance will you use for rinsing?
• How will you protect windows, frames, metalwork, gardens and paving?
• How will you protect stormwater drains and dispose of wash water?
• What access equipment is needed, and do you have a SWMS for work at height?
• Are you insured for this work, and what happens if a surface is damaged?

Frequently asked questions

Will dish soap or WD-40 clean bricks?

For soil and grime, Think Brick Australia’s cleaning manual says scrubbing with a fibre or soft bronze bristle brush and a liquid detergent is usually effective, so a gentle detergent wash is the right place to start. Household products won’t remove mortar smears, efflorescence or most stains, and an oily lubricant isn’t a brick cleaner. Identify the stain, use a product made for it, and test a small area first.

How do you bring old brickwork back to life?

Start by identifying the stains and cleaning with the gentlest method that works, testing as you go. Crumbling or eroded mortar joints are a repointing job, which is a separate scope from cleaning. For heritage-listed or historically significant brickwork, get specialist advice before any acid or pressure is used.

Can I clean bricks myself?

A small, ground-level wall with light dirt is a reasonable DIY job using brushing and low-pressure water. Acid cleaning is different: hydrochloric acid is a hazardous chemical, so you need the safety data sheet, protective equipment, correct dilution and a plan for runoff. On commercial or strata buildings, work at height, public access and stormwater controls usually make a contractor the safer choice.

How often should brickwork be cleaned?

There is no set interval. It depends on exposure, shade and damp (which encourage moss and algae), traffic grime, and how important presentation is for that wall. For strata schemes, inspect brickwork as part of regular maintenance planning and clean when needed, rather than on a fixed calendar.

Keeping brick facades and common areas in good shape

For strata committees and facility managers, brick cleaning is usually a periodic job within a wider maintenance plan; the day-to-day presentation of entries, car parks and common areas depends on routine cleaning between those jobs. B&K Services provides commercial cleaning, strata cleaning and building and grounds maintenance across Sydney, Wollongong/Illawarra and Nowra/Shoalhaven, under one contract and one point of contact. For related reading, see soft washing vs pressure washing and our guide to strata cleaning costs.

To have the routine cleaning of your building’s common areas reviewed, book a free site walk-through or call 1300 136 954.