Thanks Barbara, The windows are new, and because I had storm windows with the old wooden-sash windows before, the window frames were all repainted white (they were a horrid avocado green color, before!). I'm pretty sure it's the siding, because if you look at the corners of the house, there's white staining where the corner piece of the siding ends on both sides. Also, along the top row of vertical bricks, there seems to be a lot of build up. I'm just wondering if there are any plant-safe concoctions that will ease cleaning brick, and what the best way of cleaning brick and siding is. I guess there's always the pressure-washing method, but would I need to use a detergent to get this stuff off? Thanks, Nick

Can anyone help? Our new kitchen is being built in an addition that is being built on the outside of our existing brick home, and the exterior brick wall will be exposed in the kitchen and dining area. The brick was once covered with ivy. A wire brush seems to work to get the residual ivy tendrils off, but now we need to clean the brick and mortar. Unfortunately the contractor did not clean the brick as I suggested before enclosing the addition, so we're left to clean it now as an interior project...which means no power washing. We don't have flooring or drywall yet, so we can get messy, but I can't spray water anymore...so we need to do this a small section at a time to reduce the mess. Any suggestions for what to use? I've heard both TSP and oven cleaner. Anyone have any experience on this one? Not so much a kitchen question, but you guys seem to have seen and done everything. Thanks!

A second to Carol's warning: find out about the mortar and age of the brick. Back in the 1970s or 1980s, I'm told, a lot of houses in my neighborhood, most of them late 19th century brick buildings, were sandblasted to clean the hundred years of grime. My house was one of the "lucky" ones cleaned that way. It blasted the face off many bricks and required repointing.

gosh, i would say muriatric acid is your best bet, but if its now an inside area, i would not do that. i use it to clean my brick courtyard area and I use it in my swimming pool to control the ph. i have to be careful though because just the fumes from it can take your breath away. i don't have any other suggestions. brick is not easy to clean and acid is the only thing that i know of to do it.