Winter is waving from not-so-far a “Hi” to you. It’s the perfect time for your furnace to have a beautiful makeover. The orange fire-sparks will be the enlightened glitters of your upcoming Christmas party. Plus the dirt and grime are supposed to be far away from your home for that enchanting warm and cozy environment that brings all the family and friends together.
The frightening creosote and the dark soot are going to destroy the clean, healthy and toxin free atmosphere in the surroundings and won’t let you and your loved ones to breathe freely and live happily. A regular maintenance of the fireplace is a must.
1. Buy cleaners
Give priority to these products:
Ammonia: An excellent choice as a washing agent. Avoid applying it on brick fireplaces.
Oven cleaners:You can use your conventional kitchen oven cleansers in case of a lot of burn wood accumulation.
Local hardware stores: The shops are filled with a variety of fireplace washing materials. Search for the suitable one. Follow the labels written at the back of the boxes. Some scrubbers need to be diluted, while others can be used directly. Check and use.
2. Make homemade washers
Every chemical has side effects that take a toll on your health. It’s safer to make your cleaner. Kitchen items are great for the purpose.
Some suggestions:
Mix 2 tablespoons of tartar cream with water. Try vinegar and water in equal proportions. Baking soda with dishwasher is excellent for the task. Lemon with baking soda is a fantastic scrubber.
Don’t think of any fantasy task for making the fireplace look just out of the box. A practical proceeding always works best.
A proper winter care for your hearth:
Usually, the first burning season won’t take much of your hurdles for removing the dirt. A mere periodical ash removal is enough. The reality is that the fireplace works far better if approximately 2 inches of ashes are present. There are some firesides with ash pits. Deposit the ashes with a shovel into a metal container with tight lids to be safe from the live embers.
3. An all-purpose cleaning and disinfectant spray
A natural spray to clean your bedroom, furniture, or bathroom can work well with your fireplace too. The supermarkets are filled with all-purpose sprays. Buy one and enjoy a quick rub.
4. Buy the correct brush
Your toothbrush or a shoe polish brush is probably not going to help you. Fireplace requires particular brushes or brooms. The shopkeepers will advise you the appropriate one. You can also use the same brush you use for clearing your pet’s mess.
A fantastic source for off-season care:
Are you waiting for the ideal time for cleaning your fireplace?
If you are doing so, you are fooling yourself. An off-season care will give you the best chance for a thorough maintenance. Don’t wait until the last minute. You can take help of a simple pencil eraser or smoke streaks for rubbing the exterior. A vacuum cleaner will surely clean the ducts. You can hire a chimney sweep during this time to climb up the roof and take care of the accumulated soots and junks.
5. Buy sponge
An abrasive sponge works well for sweeping the debris.
6. Take care of the adjoining area
Wear old clothes, apron, mask, and goggles to protect you from the lousy smut. Put a trap on the surrounding floor. Pile up the carpet to a distant place or cover it with a plastic sheet as the soots and the subtle grains can scatter during the cleaning work.
Get ready to attack the deadly creosote
Firstly, remove the grates, irons, grills and the screen. Sweep the ashes and gathered filth using the broom, sponge and a dustpan. A wide-bristled brush is the exact first opponent against the dominant combustible residue named creosote.
In case of stone and brick fireplace:
Use these ingredients:Washing soda – ¼ cup (50 ml), and water- 4 liters.
Use the mixture with a sponge, then brush the place with a brush (stiff- bristled), and finally rinse with clean water.
Never wash a metal firebox with water and the mixture. Call a standard sweeper.
Check the doors
The firebox doors are made up of glass that’s almost unbreakable. Some entries have a heatproof coating that can get mutilated by your homemade products or harsh chemicals. Get experienced chimney sweeps for door cleaning job.
Some useful tips:
- Minor stains- Let the cleaner set for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Tough grease- Wait for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Read the instructions of the cleaning chemicals carefully.
- Use dry woods for efficient burning and less smoke.
- Use water to put off the fire in an emergency situation. Otherwise, there is no need to litter water for burn out the fire. Wet ash paste is difficult to erase.
- Get the number of local police station, hospital and fire brigade for safety purpose.
- Be sure that the children and pets are away from the fireplace during the cleaning hours.
You don’t always spend a bombastic cost to do the needful or hire a professional sweep. If you have the time and urge, you are still welcome to do it yourself that can give a fierce competition to the master cleaners.
Contributed By:http://www.jamesthesweep.co.uk/
