How to Clean a Wood Fireplace Chimney
If you have a wood-burning fireplace in your home it is recommended that you clean the chimney on a regular basis to maintain the efficiency of the fireplace. It will also lessen the chances of a chimney fire, which could put your home and family in danger.
Cleaning the chimney is a dirty job, but it is something that should be done to protect your home and family from a potential chimney fire. Some people hire a professional to do the job for them, but it is something you can easily do yourself. There are several ways you can clean the chimney, but cleaning the chimney from the top of the roof is by far the easiest.
- Place a piece of plastic over the opening of the fireplace on the inside of the house.
- Use masking tape to secure the plastic.
- Cover the floor surround the fireplace with a drop cloth to protect the floor just in case some of the soot manages to escape. It is also recommended that you also cover the furniture in the room.
- Attach a brush to a long flexible rod. You may have to add an extender to the rod if it is not long enough to reach from the top to the bottom of the fireplace.
- Use a ladder to climb to the top of the roof to gain access to the chimney.
- Stick the brush attached to the rod down in the fireplace and push it up and down against the walls. As you rub the brush up against the walls the built up soot will fall to the chimney floor on the inside of the fireplace.
- Shine a flashlight down in the chimney to make sure it is clean.
- Return to the inside of the house and clean up the debris and your fireplace is ready to be used.