This is why we’re focusing on chimney and fireplace soot removal.
Soot is a by-product of combustion that occurs any you ignite a fire in your chimney. The type of fuel used largely determines how much soot is produced.
Now, it’s important not to allow steady accumulation of such soot within your chimney as it may lead to other problems. Getting rid of chimney soot should be a top priority as they present all sorts of issues.
Here, we’ll be discussing all things relating to chimney soot removal.
Cleaning Off Fireplace & Chimney Soot
Chimney soot usually has a dark brown or black appearance. It has a fine texture and is a byproduct of incomplete combustion. It’s a fact that combustion (especially firewood) of certain fuels is never fully complete.
The result is a dark stain across surfaces.
Such stains will readily stick to surfaces and materials like ceilings, ventilation, clothes, and walls among other areas. This isn’t pretty at all.
What more? Chimney soot will clog vent spaces, thus making it increasingly difficult for fires to burn efficiently due to little air supply.
There are basically three kinds of soot; gas, oil, and soot from combusted wood.
As implied, these different types of soot are produced from a particular type of fuel. Of the three, gas soot is almost non-existent which is why gas is considered a clean fuel.
Oil soot is produced from oil fuel combustion and appears sticky, black, and fine. Soot from burned wood is fine too and appears powdery. To have these removed; you’ll need to find appropriate soot cleaners.
There are different types of cleaners for such cleaning jobs.
Problems Caused By Chimney Soot
All sorts of issues are presented by soot presence in your chimney.
One of the primary concerns involves the health risks posed by inhalation. Being a carbon byproduct, soot inhalation in sufficient amounts will cause all sorts of health issues including lung and respiratory diseases.
Such diseases can be severe and life-threatening. It’s best to tackle the cause by not allowing soot to accumulate.
When soot accumulates to a certain extent, it may end up falling back into the house. Back suction is known to cause this situation.
Here, suction creates a pull which sees soot ending up in your home.
This will readily make your floors and carpets unsightly. You don’t want to be dealing with such a situation as such, it’s best to have your chimney routinely cleaned and soot removed.
This basic and routine cleaning practice may not seem significant, but it does a lot to resolve all sorts of problems.
Call A Chimney Sweep
Chimney sweeps play a crucial role in chimney maintenance. These professionals perform all sorts of cleaning jobs covering chimneys, and fireplaces.
Before a chimney soot cleanup begins, an inspection of the chimney and fireplace will be necessary.
Asides from helping to ascertain the level of cleanup to be performed, inspections will uncover any chimney defects that had remained unnoticed. It’s necessary to have such routine inspections each year to avoid soot buildup.
This also improves the general functionality of your chimney.
The Sooner the Better
Chimney soot removal is an action to be performed as frequently as necessary. It also needs to be sustained. You’ll need to speak with a chimney sweep about the ideal frequency of cleaning.
Scheduling such cleaning will also be helpful.
So how to clean soot off inside of fireplace? Here is a guide.
Cleaning Fireplace Soot
The fireplace is connected with the chimney and can be cleaned using DIY procedures. It’s important to understand that chimney cleaning is a much delicate procedure best performed by pros.
As such, it’s necessary to only focus on areas you can handle during fireplace soot removal.
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How To Clean Soot From Fireplace
The task of cleaning a fireplace is something professional chimney sweeps can easily handle.
Nevertheless, persons with DIY cravings can still perform the same procedure. If you fall into this category of people, then you’ll find this section informative.
The cleaning process involves wearing protective gear, prepping or clearing the area, and finally scrubbing off the soot. Let’s discuss each of these points as follows;
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Wearing Protective Gear
Exposure to soot is one thing you should be mindful of and avoid. Here, you’ll need to avoid inhaling this carbon product by using a face mask.
Other protective coverings include gloves, as well as protective goggles. Having these gear on enhances your safety while performing the cleaning job.
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Clearing the Area
The fireplace area needs to be cleared before soot cleaning proper begins. The ashes within your fireplace will have to be evacuated. It’s important to ensure that such ashes are completely cooled before removal.
This protects against hazards that may arise from the ignition of hot ash.
Where such ash will be dumped is also important. By prioritizing safety, you ensure that major fires aren’t set.
With the ash removal completed, the next step should be to clean or sweep out the firebox. Using a vacuum attachment will be great.
It’s necessary to state that vacuums used for household cleaning tasks aren’t well suited for chimney ash cleaning. It’s necessary to hire the one that is designed for such jobs.
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Scrubbing Off Soot
For soot removal to commence, it’s best to find a soft kneeling pad for your knees. Your posture while cleaning the fireplace will mostly be in a kneeling position. A towel or other soft material will serve this purpose.
Now, using your soot cleaning formula, you’ll need to start the cleaning properly.
Different soot cleaning formulas have varying directions for use. In other words, each product has its unique use instruction. It’s important to follow all such instructions to the letter.
Chimney soot removal is a necessity that needs to be performed routinely.
We’ve stated that the best way to have your chimney cleaned is by calling a professional chimney sweep. However, if you must perform a soot cleanup, it should be restricted to your fireplace.
Cleaning the fireplace area alone won’t pose as much risk as having the entire chimney cleaned.
However, it only takes care of the soot within your fireplace. This is counterproductive as the entire chimney needs to be cleared of soot deposits. It’s best to have a chimney sweep handle all the cleaning.