After you have a chimney cleaner come out and clean away all the grime that built up in your chimney over the past year, you are also going to want to clean your fireplace as well. By cleaning your fireplace right after you have your chimney cleaned, your fireplace will be ready for next fall before summer even starts. Here is what you need to do in order to effectively clean your stone fireplace.
Put On Protective Wear
The first thing you are going to want to do is put on protective eyewear, such as goggles, to protect your eyes from the dust and particles that you will move around as you clean. The second thing you need to do is put on gloves to protect your hands from the grime and from the chemicals you will be cleaning with.
Mix Together A TSP Cleaning Solution
In a bucket, mix together trisodium phosphate or TSP cleaner with water. You'll want to dilute the cleaner according to the instructions on the TSP package. The dirtier your stones are, the stronger the solution you will need in order to get the job done. Next, add about 1/4 a cup of bleach for each gallon of solution that you created.
Protect The Surrounding Area
Before you really start cleaning, you'll want to protect the surrounding area from the dust you are sure to stir up. Put plastic sheeting or a tarp on the ground in order to protect the flooring near your fireplace. Use duct tape to secure the sheeting or tarp in place. Then, put old towels around your fireplace so that you can catch any cleaning solution that runs off while you are working.
Sweep The Fireplace
Sweep away any dirt and debris from your fireplace or vacuum it up. Removing loose dirt will make the rest of the cleaning process go more smoothly.
Scrub The Fireplace
Take a sponge and get it wet with your cleaning solution. Lightly run the sponge over your fireplace, working from top to bottom. Squeeze it out and rinse it when it becomes dirty. This will help remove the first layer of dirt from your fireplace.
After you have lightly gone over the fireplace with a sponge, get out your scrub brush. Dip your scrub brush in the cleaning solution and get to work. As stone is porous, you are going to need to be really aggressive with your scrubbing in order to remove the dirt. You are going to need to scrub hard and deep in order to remove all the dirt. As you work, rinse the area off with a sponge that has been dipped in regular, clean warm water. This will help you see how effective your scrubbing is and will allow you to adjust course if necessary.
When you are happy with how your stone fireplace looks, rinse it off again with a clean sponge, remove the towels you used to catch run-off, take away the plastic and allow the fireplace to air dry. The length of time this will take really depends on how large your fireplace is and how well-set the dirt and soot is in the stone. The more set the dirt and soot, the longer this project will take. Try to complete this project on the same day that you have your chimney cleaned so that your fireplace is ready and prepared for next year.
If you don't want to do this job yourself, you can hire a service like Country Corner Chimney Sweeps to do it for you.
Share27 May 2016
Hello, my name is Kirk. Welcome to my website about cleaning. When I developed asthma, I had to figure out the best way to manage my health. Since my asthma worsened with exposure to allergens, I had to dedicate myself to deep cleaning my home on a regular basis. I learned a lot about keeping my home clean using natural products and methods. I also utilize cleaning services when I cannot perform the work myself. I would like to help others learn how to keep their home clean and tidy on their own and with professional help. I hope you will follow along to learn all you can about cleaning your home. Thanks for visiting.