One simple reality of owning a home is that housework is never done. If you have a fireplace, keeping it clean will be one more thing on the list of your chores. Sometimes you will have to give us a call so that we can inspect or clean your fireplace and chimney, but today we’re going to cover some cleaning that you can do between professional chimney cleanings. A professional cleaning will keep your fireplace ready for use. As part of your regular routine cleaning, however, a few easy cleaning tips will have your fireplace looking good, and make your list of chores more manageable.

The items you will need to get the job done are:

  • Glass cleaner
  • Brushes
  • Rubber gloves
  • A spray bottle with water
  • Dishwashing liquid
  • Paper towels
  • A small shovel
  • A trash can with a lid
  • Plastic sheet

To stay comfortable while working, you should have something to kneel on. Get a kneeling pad or roll up a towel to kneel on. The job might not take long, but you still want to keep it as hassle free as possible. You should also wear an apron because things can get messy.

The Cleaning

Typically this job doesn’t have to last for more than 15 minutes. It is best to wait for at least a full day after using it before you clean your fireplace. This way you will know that all the ashes have cooled and you can avoid any accidents. The steps to cleaning your fireplace are:

  • Put on your apron and spread the plastic sheet in front of the fireplace
  • Take off the grate, then remove what is left of the logs and put them on the plastic. Any logs that are too burned to be reused should be put in the trash can
  • Use the brush to clean the inside walls of the fireplace. Use the shovel to pick up the ash and put the remains in the trash can. Afterwards, sweep the screens as well.
  • Spray water on the bricks on the outside and scrub the area with a brush. This is usually enough to get rid of soot, but sometimes you may need to use a hearth cleaner to help clean the area well.
  • Dry the area thoroughly with a cloth after you are done. You can also wipe down the glass doors. Place the grates on the plastic and spray them with the hearth cleaner and then wipe them off with the paper towels.

Remember that these are just basic cleaning steps to keep the fireplace looking good. Repeated use of the fireplace will cause a buildup of debris that you won’t be able to handle on your own. For the sake of your safety, call us to inspect your fireplace and to give it a professional cleaning at set intervals. We can also monitor the condition of your chimney to keep the entire system working efficiently.