Cleaning old soot from brickwork........?

[yorkshireWenceslass]

Friends of ours have been redecorating and have discovered a lovely brick fireplace in their kitchen - the only problem is that inside it's coated in soot and they have tried allsorts in vain to remove it. I said I would ask Mumsnet! Does anyone have a good tip for cleaning soot from brickwork?

hopeful bump.....

We did this with a wallpaper stripper - one of those A4 sized plastic things attached to a hose that blasts out hot steam. It worked a treat, but does make a horrible mess - sooty, watery pools of water run down the walls.
Some sort of pressure hose might work too, if the floor was covered in lots of protective material. Sorry, can't remember the proper name, but the things you use to clean patios and brick paving.

good luck!

Kling strip or a wire brush

Kling strip available from here

strippers

Message withdrawn

Sorry, no advice but I read this as 'cleaning old SNOT from brickwork'

Pruni, Hi, as you can see I have cleaned a few fireplaces in me time

Thanks for the tips, LOL at snot!