A Detailed Guide on How to Clean Your Fireplace

Fall would never be a cozy season without a lit fireplace. The crackling wood, flickering flames, and sizzling embers give a comfortable ambiance and keep the cold from creeping into your bones. As soon as the leaves change color, it is time to prepare your fireplace for a busy season. But most people keep putting the task of cleaning the fireplace off till the last minute. Whether your fireplace is wood-burning, electric, or gas, it needs regular cleaning to keep it in top working condition and safe to use.

Wood-burning fireplaces need soot and ash removal. Gas and electric fireplaces require tending to as well in order to function properly. You need to remove any dust or grime in the smoke-less fireplaces.

How Often to Clean a Fireplace?

According to experts, a fireplace needs to be cleaned at least once a year. The best time to clean the chimney is in the late spring or summer when the fire-burning season is over. If you wait for fall to get your fireplace cleaned, you will find it difficult to book a chimney sweep. But if the fireplace is heavily used or you see signs of soot and creosote falling into the firebox, your chimney requires more frequent cleaning.

Many cleaning services recommend you to have your fireplace cleaned after each use. It will not require a professional undertaking and you can simply empty the firebox, scrub the ashes, and soot without devoting much time or effort. However, if that seems far-fetched, monthly or bi-monthly cleanup is the second-best course of action.

What Happens if You Don’t Clean the Fireplace?

Failing to have your fireplace regularly cleaned, you are risking a fire or at the very least deteriorating it to a point of requiring extremely costly repairs. Keeping a fireplace effectively cleaned is related to safety, operation, or the life of the fire feature. Fireplaces can gather creosote, soot, and blockages over time, which can cause obstructions for a nice-going fire.

If the buildup of creosote is left in the fireplace and chimney, the flammable material may catch fire, which could spread from the chimney to the rest of the house. Even though the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends cleaning up the fireplace when there is a 1/8” creosote buildup. But it also advises to clean it up and not wait for the buildup as the substance is highly flammable.

How to Clean Traditional Brick Wood-Burning Fireplace

Many traditional homes, especially older constructions, still have typical, brick wood-burning fireplaces to provide the crackling wood with bright flames lacking the hearth. While it is one of the oldest and most beautiful fireplace types, the ash, soot, and creosote buildup can increase the more you use it. The wood-burning fireplace features a metal grate, a damper, and an optional built-in screen to keep runaway embers and cinders inside the hearth.

Here are the tips on cleaning a wood-burning fireplace:

1. Start by extinguishing any fire. Spread out the embers using a fireplace shovel or spoke. Now cover the embers with ash or a little baking soda, and wait for 24 hours.
2. After the fireplace is cooled down, make a deep cleaning solution by combining dish soap, 1/4 cup of heavy-duty cleaner, and one gallon of warm water in a large bucket.
3. Before getting to work, remove burnt wood using your hands and a fireplace shovel.
4. After that, you need to take out the andirons and fireplace grate; and knock off as much ash and debris back into the fireplace. Sweep up the excess ash with a dustpan and broom. Alternatively, you can use a hand vacuum, shop vacuum, or vacuum hose to meticulously remove residue.
5. Once you have removed the ash and debris from the hearth, scrub the inside of the fireplace with a stiff bristled brush and cleaning solution. To make things easier, work from the top down and repeat the chore if necessary.
6. When the inside of the fireplace is thoroughly cleaned, use a pumice stone dipped in dish soap to clean the bricks on the fireplace surround. If you find stubborn soot stains, you can try using a trisodium phosphate cleaner.
7. Allow the fireplace walls and floor to dry. While it is drying, clean the andirons and tools with dish soap and water. You can follow up with metal polish.

Also Read: Tips to Prepare Your Fireplace for Fall and Winter

How to Clean Gas Fireplace

Gas fireplaces are a good alternative to wood fireplaces as they offer warmth without smoke or ash. This type of fireplace is a quicker and more energy-efficient way to heat a room than a gas furnace. However, you will have to deal with grime over time. Burning gas can cause a fireplace’s glass door to turn white or foggy due to chemicals used in natural gas products. Dust, dander, and soot can build up as well. Regularly cleaning a gas fireplace helps ensure an efficient function and lower the risk of carbon monoxide release in your home.

Here are the tips on cleaning a gas fireplace:

1. Turn off the gas valve of the fireplace. Let the burners cool completely before you begin the cleaning process.
2. Remove the ceramic logs and place them on a cloth or old towel. You can dust off the ceramic gas logs using a dry paintbrush or cloth.
3. If there are any stones, you can scoop them out and put them in a container. Fill the container with a cleaning solution, wash the stones, rinse, and pat them dry.
4. Then use a hand vacuum to remove any dust and debris from around the fireplace and its vents. Use a stiff bristled brush dipped in the cleaning solution to remove the soot and grime from the walls and floor.
5. Use a dry paintbrush or cloth to dust off the ceramic gas logs and any decorative grate.
6. Once the insides are cleaned, wipe and scrub the glass doors with glass cleaner and paper towels. If there is a white chemical residue film, a special fireplace glass cleaner can be used.
7. You can clean the andirons and tools with a cleaning solution made from dish soap and water. After that, you can follow up with a metal polish.

How to Clean Electric Fireplace

Compared to their counterparts, electric fireplaces need very little effort to keep them clean and functioning properly. Without a real fire or burning fuel, this type of fireplace produces no harmful byproducts like ash or smoke. Despite its low-maintenance profile, an electric fireplace does need regular cleaning to keep it in prime condition.

Here are the tips on cleaning an electric fireplace:

1. The first step is to turn off the power. You need to switch the electric fireplace off and then unplug it from the mains. If it is on, you can let it cool down overnight.
2. Start by cleaning the exterior of your electric fireplace. The unit’s exterior can gather stains or a buildup of dust over time that needs to be cleaned for aesthetic and safety reasons.
3. Then open or remove the glass doors. You will have to dust the logs, stones, andirons, or hearth with a clean cloth. You can use a handheld vacuum to remove excess dust. A metal polish can be used on the metal andirons for extra shine.
4. To clean the logs or coal more thoroughly, damp a soft cloth in warm water, and wipe the ember bed and logs. Follow suit to clean the inside and outside of your fireplace walls.
5. The inlet and outlet vents on the heating element of your electric fireplace can also gather dust over time. A damp cloth can be used to wipe the vents down.

While knowing how to clean a fireplace is easy, it is important to discern what to do and what not to do while cleaning your fireplace. It is also vital to know the different ways to clean different types of fireplaces. You can begin by covering your work area with a drop cloth or tarp to protect the rest of the furniture in the room and move away the furnishings.

Even if your fireplace doesn’t see much action, you can make regular cleaning a bi-monthly ritual to keep the feature in a proper functioning capacity.