Can I clean up my bricks?

We've just had an extension built and I want to clean the original part of the house so that they look fresher and match the new part. How can I do this?

Brick cleaning company Restore suggests cleaning them thoroughly with Disclean Brick Cleaner, a specialist brick wash available from builders' merchants. This will strip back layers of soot, smog and dirt. About 5ltr should be enough to match up the old and new bricks. Alternatively, call in the professionals. Look under Stone Cleaning in the Yellow Pages for a contractor - they'll be able to clean even the toughest grime with acid-based solutions.

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