Life in southern Arizona does not allow for the comforts of winters by the fireplace but for those that are lucky enough to enjoy cozy winter nights spent by firelight, spring means tidying up your fireplace and ridding your home of ash. Giving your fireplace a thorough clean now means that you can enjoy the wide open windows of spring without the urgency of dusting afterwards, and ensures that when those chilly autumn nights roll around again, you are not paying through the nose when your local chimney sweep pays a visit.
After your chimney sweep cleans your chimney, set aside 30 minutes to give your fireplace a good scrub. To clean you fireplace you will need:
- A large cleaning bowl or bucket;
- A nylon scrub brush that is big enough to fit in your hand, but not too big that you need 2 hands to use it;
- Warm soapy water made from a mild detergent (eco friendly is best as it will not leave a residue behind);
- Dust pan and broom;
- Drop cloth (I always have one handy for really messy cleaning jobs);
- Tall waste bin (trash can);
- Tall bin liners (trash can liners);
- Cleaning gloves (why spoil that manicure?).
30 minutes is all you really need for this task if you work at a pace, after all, there are only 5 steps needed to see your fireplace sparkle:
- Put on your cleaning gloves and remove your fireplace equipment and accessories by placing them in the bin liner and taking them outside. Once outside, give them a good scrub and polish if necessary and leave outside until you are done cleaning the fireplace.
- Place your drop cloth around the fireplace to keep your flooring from being damaged.
- Sweep up the excess ash and soot left inside the fireplace and discard into the waste bin. Then take outside and rejoice in the fact that your room is now ash free.
- Use the scrub brush and warm soapy water to clean the walls and floor of your fireplace. Remembering to keep the cleaning solution clean. Once the soot and ash debris is cleaned away, use a micro fiber cloth to gently rinse away any left over cleaning solution.
- Gently remove your cleaning drop cloth, and let the area fully dry. Once the area and the accessories are dry, return everything and open the windows…..spring has sprung!
Recommended Reading:
Fireplace Maintenance and Safety
Chimney Safety Institute of America