This is the online guide to cleaning walls

Tips: how to remove all types of stains and dirt off walls:

High pressure water sprays also use large amounts of water and power up. If you can clean with a strong brush then try that first. If you need a specialist product then try and use something advertised as being kind to the environment. If all else fails, at least try not to let chemicals go into the water system.

The most common reasons for needing a brick cleaner are concrete stains and efflorescence (white minerals that come out of the brick and cause a white stain). Ground-in brick stains like dirt are an issue for lower bricks on walls too and rust is also an issue near metal work on brick walls. To find the best method for you it is sometimes necessary to take into consideration the type of brick. A brick with a face on it (often called rustic bricks) should be cleaned in a more gentle way. More porous styles of brick such as sandstone may need extra liquid as the brick may absorb some of the cleaning product.

When using a product it is important to follow the instructions as they are often very strong concentrates that need a lot of diluting with water. If unsure how much brick cleaner to apply, we recommend starting with less as some products may stain bricks if too much is added. Local hardware stores and builders merchants will have types to use, but there are companies online that offer specialist and new products. Sealants are recommended for certain types of bricks only, and you must wait for any efflorescence to come out of the bricks before applying, so read the labels carefully.

The liquid brick cleaning products and sealants can be applied using a standard hand brush and bucket. If there are chemicals you don't know are safe we recommend wearing rubbergloves just in case, however all brickenvironmentally friendly. The world is getting more and more crowded and this means more pollution. Being 'green' is something we should all consider. In this case there are ways to be environmentally friendly by avoiding strong, harmful chemicals.

When we used to clean bricks and concrete, we just asked our merchant for 'brick acid'. It is easy to use and removes efflorescence and concrete stains (from pointing with mortar cement). The concentrate is diluted with water and the acid works its way through the stain. There are many products now that will likely offer a safe more non toxic solution. These newer advanced products are still effective cleaning bricks but they are harmless to humans and plants. You will also feel at ease having these products stored in your garage or shed as they are not harmful to children.

Cleaning bricks can take a lot of time, so it is a good idea to use a brick cleaning product to speed things up. Scrubbing away can take forever and possibly damage the wall too.

For basic stains like drirt and moss you can try lightly pressure washing the wall. There are now some excellent 'green' brick cleaning products available. These environmentally friendly liquids will eat away at dirt without harming the wall or nearby plants

Wall stains like concrete will need something stronger. Brick acid is good for this, and there are various options available. Dilute as described as they acid based brick clean liquids are very strong. If unsure try on a small test area first.

Once the wall is clean try a brick sealer:

Brick sealers are a good idea if your wall is prone to dirt stains. They stop dirt sticking as easily, prevent moss from growing, and also protect the wall against the weather.

Clean bricks can make a big difference to the appearance of your house or garden wall. Stains aren't too hard to remove and they can be kept off with a decent brick sealant. A clean wall can make a massive difference, so give it a go today.

If your wall looks really terrible you might want to consider getting a professional in to make it look better. Building walls from scratch is very costly, so try cleaning it first. If it still isn't perfect you could get it re-pointed. A brick layer will remove exisiting pointing and add brand new mortar to the joints.

Re-pointing a wall is achieved by just removing the first part of the mortar. This means that the wall stays up. It can make an amazing difference to have this done, and old bricks with character can suddendly look excellent.

Old walls can also be rendered. This is basically plastering the wall so that it is smooth. It can then be finnished smooth or with a rough effect. The area is then painted or dyed plaster can be used initially. It will be necessary to remove loose dirt first but stains can be left alone. Any cracks in the pointing or bricks can be ignored as the plaster will fill them in.