Discard the fabric strips.
Get paint off brick fireplace.
The only way to completely and safely remove paint from brick is to use a caustic paint stripper.
Use a lot of gel per brick.
Tips if you plan to strip paint off brick fireplace just use soygel it worked amazingly well and not having to use gloves or a mask for this 27 hour project was amazing.
Removing paint from brick use the same small area you used to test for lead to test your paint stripper.
The gel or paste paint remover will have softened the paint as well as adhered to the fabric so that the paint will come off as you peel.
Hire a professional to sandblast the brick.
Peel the strips of fabric gently off of the surface of the brick.
There should be a thick layer of gel on each brick.
If your brick is old or brittle it will probably be damaged by the process so use it only if all else fails and you can t live with the dried paint.
Then wait at least 30 minutes before peeling the sheeting off.
After covering your brick with the stripper layer plastic sheeting over it to adhere it to the brick.
First lay down a series of drop cloths or some thick plastic sheeting to catch the peeling and flaking paint that will fall away from the brick.
Paint stripper is a thick paste that is applied with a brush or putty knife.