Cleaning your fireplace can be a dirty and harmful task. Since fireplace ashes are tiny and can get airborne, it poses a breathing hazard inside your home. Therefore, proper maintenance is necessary to avoid battling the thick, dark dust and soot buildup within your fireplace. It further spreads ash throughout your living room and disperses dust in your house, leading to breathing problems. A functioning fireplace enhances a home's warmth, ambiance, and style. A wood-burning fireplace, a space for a warm gathering, needs routine cleaning for safety and aesthetic reasons.
Cover the Surrounding Area:
Before your start cleaning, ensure the fireplace is cool. You must wait 24 hours after your last fire. Do not forget to wear old clothes and a mask to prevent inhaling soot and ash because this work will probably get filthy. Wearing a dust mask or respirator, gloves, and eyewear ensure safety. Dropcloths or plastic sheets should be used to cover the nearby furnishings and surfaces.
Use Equipment:
Take a small shovel or hand brush to remove ashes and dust from the fireplace and place them in a dustpan. Use a thick paper bag or garbage container and dispose of it. The andirons or grate should be cleaned outside after being swept clean of dust and ashes. Use a shop vacuum or the hose attachment on your vacuum to remove the residual dust from the floor and the walls.
Cleaning Solution:
Use a stiff-bristled brush and cleaning solution to scrub the inside of the fireplace. Start from the top to down. If necessary, do this step several times. Using a pumice stone dipped in dish soap, wash the bricks on a fireplace. Try a trisodium phosphate cleanser for soot stains that are especially difficult to remove.
Allow your fireplace walls and floor to dry.
Maintenance Tips
Your wood-burning fireplace should be swept and shoveled once every week. Leave an inch or so of ash behind. It protects the embers and gives a hotter flame.
Look for cracks and loosening joints in the firebox. You should also look for brick-and-mortar deterioration in a masonry fireplace. You can use refractory cement to make quick fixes to the joints and cracks in the firebox. Calling a professional for a fireplace repair in Sacramento can help you save the hassle.
Replacing a damper is not a DIY project. If you wish to replace it, hiring a professional is the best idea.
A powerful flashlight or work light can be used to inspect the flue from the top for any damage. The joints in metal flue liners should be perfectly straight and tidy.
Hire an expert to inspect your fireplace and do the cleaning because the DIY method can be harmful.
The National Fire Protection Association advises having a yearly inspection of the chimney and fireplace to ensure the cleaning and safety of houses. You might want to try the DIY method to clean the fireplace, but hiring a professional is your best bet.