Q: We painted our brick fireplace white. But after some use, smoke has stained the brick. What’s the best way to clean it? A: Soot is mostly carbon particles, but it often has a greasy nature ...

“You can paint brick, and a lot are white, but you can paint them a lot of colors. Drive through River Oaks and you’ll see a lot of them.” It part of the new transitional style.

That ability to de-gloss slick paint is one reason it’s not a great solution for removing soot from a fireplace with painted brick — unless you plan to repaint. Sure, you’ll probably get the ...