Brick fireplaces may be cozy and charming, but they also blacken easily. Smoke and ash penetrate the brick during every fire and leave behind dark stains. Cleaning brick can be very challenging ...

Q. I tried to wash bricks above a fireplace with soap and water, but I got an uneven result. How can I do a better job? A. If you didn't saturate the bricks with water before you applied the cleaning ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Who doesn't love a warm, cozy fire? But the maintenance and clean-up that goes with hit? Not so much. And while chimney cleaning ...

Lindsey Ellefson is Lifehacker’s Features Editor. She currently covers study and productivity hacks, as well as household and digital decluttering, and oversees the freelancers on the sex and ...