- 1). Soak the bricks in a bucket of water for about five minutes.
- 2). Wear eye protection to protect against flying pieces of brick and mortar.
- 3). Chip the mortar off of your bricks using the tapered end of a brick hammer. A brick hammer is about 8 inches long with a 1-inch-square head and a "slightly curved, tapered end," according to Bill and Kevin Burnett, home improvement columnists for Inman News.
- 4). Soak the bricks again if you have trouble removing the mortar. Each brick may require a couple of trips to the water bucket to loosen the mortar.
- 5). Use a solution of muriatic acid in water to loosen very stubborn mortar. Read the muriatic acid instructions for the proper mixing amount, as different brands require different measurements.
- 6). Wear eye protection and rubber gloves when working with the muriatic acid solution. It can burn your skin.
- 7). Use a wire brush to finish cleaning the bricks.
- 8). Use your bricks in various projects, such as a new patio, a walkway, the space underneath a gutter, a brick barbecue, or a pad underneath a grill or other space.
- 9). Donate your bricks to a building supply recycling store, such as Habitat for Humanity's ReStores.
- 10
Offer your old bricks for free (or for sale if they are in really good condition) in your local paper or classified ad website.
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