Brick cleaning after repointing

I'm in the process of repointing some external brickwork and was wondering how long should I wait before cleaning the smears off the bricks?

Also is there a product/solution better than diluted hydrochloric acid on the market for cleaning bricks?

New homes, when brickwork is completed are usually water blasted clean. Don't know how that would go down if you are in a water restricted area at the moment.

I would wait a week to be safe, if acid washed too soon it will eat too much of the mortar out of the pointing you have just done. Gives it a chance to not just dry but fully cure.