How to clean the fireplace : all the instructions for thoroughly cleaning the fireplace and its components, from the flue to the cast iron top.
Autumn is upon us; in the cold months of the year there is nothing better than a crackling fire to warm up the house and create the right atmosphere. With the approach of spring, it is time to put the fireplace to rest and do a big clean . On this page we will see how to take care of the maintenance and end-of-season cleaning of the fireplace . In particular we will see how to:
- Cleaning the fireplace flue
- Wash the fireplace
- How to clean tempered protective glass
- How to descale cast iron fireplace plate
Let’s start with general maintenance and ash disposal.
Contents hide
1 How to clean the fireplace
2 How to clean the chimney flue
3 Cleaning the chimney
4 How to wash the fireplace
5 How to clean fireplace glass
6 How to remove chimney scale
How to clean the fireplace
The first thing to clean is the combustion chamber.
The fireplace should be cleaned with the fire out. First make sure that the walls of the fireplace and the ash are very cold. Wear old clothes, gloves and a mask so as not to inhale the dust.
Arm yourself with a dustpan and broom to remove the ash, to avoid raising too much dust, you can equip yourself with a vacuum cleaner. Once the ash has been removed, cover the base of the fireplace with old newspaper sheets so that you can continue cleaning in a more carefree way: a lot of soot will fall!
How to clean the chimney flue
Inspect the chimney by shining a flashlight into it to check for any obstructions.
If the fireplace has an external door, simply insert the circular steel brush, equipped with a flexible or telescopic rod, into the flue and move it to sweep away the soot.
To clean the chimney, you need a special brush. The photo above shows a prototype of a chimney cleaning kit, for the sole purpose of “illustrating” the characteristics that a good brush should have. That is, it must have an extendable handle that can be either flexible (pre-assembled) or modular (as in the photo). The brush must be sturdy and able to follow the path taken, at different times, by the smoke.
There are many chimney sweep kits on the market that have modular, flexible or telescopic handles. Usually, the most expensive ones are those with flexible handles (they cost around 70 euros) while the cheaper ones are the modular sets that cost around 20 – 30 euros.
To purchase you can go to a well-stocked hardware store, shops like Brico Center or Leroy Merlin or, for a wider choice, take advantage of online shopping. On “ this Amazon page ” you can get a complete overview of the prices and models of chimney sweep kits complete with brush and ready for use like the following. Interesting price as well as the rating: 59 euros and 4.3 out of 5 votes among those who purchased it.
Chimney Sweep Kit Cleaning Flues 10 Meters with Steel Brush Ø20 cm with FREE Gloves
Chimney cleaning
If the chimney has only one access from above, once you have reached the roof/terrace in complete safety, brush the inside of the chimney but only after covering the mouth of the chimney with a plastic sheet so as not to fill the house with soot.
If the flue has a fixed chimney cap, you will have to clean the chimney starting from the mouth. In this case too, you should cover the entrance with a plastic sheet but you will have to leave the entrance for the brush and your arm which will have to accompany it with circular movements aimed at freeing the walls of the flue from soot.
How to wash the fireplace
Finally, remove the plastic sheet and newspaper and then proceed to remove the fallen soot.
Once all the dust has been removed, proceed with a wash: wash with a solution of water, baking soda and white wine vinegar. If the fireplace has a cast iron plate, you can polish it with simple furniture oil.
How to clean fireplace glass
For cleaning tempered glass there is a natural product that you too often underestimate: ash!
Ash is highly alkaline and is used in saponification, for the production of caustic lye. What does this mean? That to clean the glass of the fireplace you will only need a large soft sponge, boiling water and fireplace ash.
How do you clean cloudy and dirty fireplace glass?
- Wear gloves.
- Soak a large soft sponge in boiling water
- Dip the sponge in the ash
- Rub the ash on the surface of the tempered glass to be cleaned
- Repeat until the glass is shiny, clean and like new.
Although the ash is caustic it is less suitable for cleaning the cast iron plate where combustion causes stubborn encrustations.
