Potato peelings and acorns help prevent creosote build-up in the chimney. Save your potato skins and collect the acorns in the autumn. A handful, thrown on top of a burning fire can help to keep your chimney in good shape.
Use fire ash to clean ashes. To clean the stove or closed fireplace glass door, simply dampen some newspaper and dip into some cold weed ashes. Rub gently until all the creosote comes off. Repeat if necessary, until the glass is clean. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
White, distilled vinegar is an effective, money-saving, and non-toxic way of cleaning your hearthstone fireplace. Simply pour the vinegar directly from the bottle or use a spray bottle to get into the crevices. Allow the vinegar to sit for a few minutes, then scrub with an old toothbrush. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. It will be gleaming in no time at all.
Use coffee grounds added to the ash in your fireplace, to help limit the amount of dirt billowing up when cleaning. Don’t forget to place newspaper or protective sheeting when cleaning out the hearth, to prevent the flooring from getting marked or stained.
If you have soot stuck on the brick or stone in your fireplace, you can clean it up with minimal effort. All you have to do is, carefully throw in a few tablespoons of salt into a roaring fire and watch, as the soot stains on your brick or stone fireplace go up in smoke. This works as the salt helps loosen the soot as it burns. The soot will soon move up the chimney with the rest of the smoke.
