How To Clean Ashes From A Fireplace

Having a fireplace at home is excellent for those evenings when you just want to settle in and relax on your sofa with a cozy and warm fire to chase away the stress of the day.

Having a fireplace is great for creating a cozy environment in your home, but you need to make sure that you take care of the fireplace to keep it in good condition. 

Keeping your fireplace clean and tidy from ashes is essential for making sure that it works properly and keeps the fire burning for longer.

Letting the ashes build up can impact the smell of the fireplace as it can create an unpleasant scent of burning, so you need to regularly clean the ashes to prevent this from happening. 

This article will show you how to clean ashes from your fireplace to keep it in good condition and prevent the build-up of ashes inside.

Find out more about properly cleaning the ashes from your fireplace below. 

How To Clean Ashes From A Fireplace

How To Clean Ashes From A Fireplace

To clean the ashes from your fireplace, you will need to make sure that you have the right equipment to get rid of the ashes and protect your health as well.

You will need a small broom, a shovel, a vacuum designed for clearing ash, goggles, a mask to protect your airways, water, and a small bag. 

Once you have all of the equipment, you can then start to clean the fireplace. 

Allow The Fireplace To Cool

Allowing the fireplace time to cool down is important as you do not want to burn yourself.

Different fireplaces take longer or shorter than others to cool down, so you need to leave the fireplace for the appropriate amount of time.

You cannot clean the ashes from the fireplace when it is hot as this could result in burning, so allow it to cool first. 

Check The Ash

Checking the ashes is important for knowing what you need to use to clean them. You can only check the ashes when the fireplace is cool, so do not check while it is hot to avoid burning yourself.

If the ashes are a grainy texture, use a shovel to clean them, or if they seem dusty, pour some water over them and wait for them to become grainy before using the shovel. 

Cleaning dusty ashes can cause the dust to spread over the room, so making sure they are a grainy texture is a more effective way to clean the fireplace and minimize any additional mess. 

Put The Ashes In A Bag

Using a bag that fastens at the top is a beneficial approach. This helps to keep the ashes contained in the bag because if you use a bucket, there is a risk that the ashes could fall out or spread around the house.

Use the scoop to transfer the ashes from the fireplace to the polybag as using your hands will cause them to become messy. 

It is important to only add cool ashes into the bag as hot ashes could melt the bag. 

Wearing a mask is important for making sure that you do not inhale any of the ashes and goggles will stop the ashes from hurting your eyes.

Get Rid Of Stubborn Ashes

There will always be ashes that are difficult to remove from the fireplace and the scoop can fail to pick them up.

To get rid of the stubborn ashes, wear a pair of gloves and remove them with your hands.

You can loosen the ashes with your hands and use a small brush to clear up the rest of the ashes to keep the fireplace tidy. 

Clean The Fireplace With Soap And Water

Clean The Fireplace With Soap And Water

Now that the ashes have been removed from the fireplace, you can wash down the fireplace with soap and water to keep it clean and prevent grime or other ashes from building up.

If any ashes are still attached to the fireplace, the soap and water will clean them off and keep your fireplace in great condition. 

Disposing Of The Ashes

When you are disposing of the ashes from the fireplace, you will need to take them to a fireplace ash dump or make sure your local garbage service will haul them away.

You can find the nearest ash dump to you by calling local dumps and seeing which ones dispose of ashes.

You can then empty the bag at the dump to get rid of the ashes. 

Using A Vacuum Designed For Cleaning Fireplaces

A regular vacuum cleaner won’t be able to clean your fireplace, so it is important that you only use a vacuum cleaner that is designed for picking up ashes.

To make it easier to pick up the ashes you can brush the ashes to the center of the fireplace to make them more accessible for the vacuum. 

Be careful not to pick up any wood or coal with the vacuum as this could cause the vacuum to become blocked.

Safety Precautions

Always Wear A Mask And Goggles

You need to make sure that you always wear a mask and goggles when you are cleaning the ashes from the fireplaces as this will prevent you from inhaling any of the dust or getting dust in your eyes.

Inhaling the dust could affect your respiratory system, so always wear protective gear. 

Do Not Touch Hot Ashes

If the ashes are still hot, do not try to clean them. You need to make sure that you let the ashes cool down before you touch them as this could cause you to burn yourself and you want to keep safe from any injuries.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, you can easily clean the ashes from your fireplace, but it is important to remain safe when you are doing so.

You will need to always wear a mask to prevent you from inhaling the dust and you need to wait for the ashes to cool down before cleaning them.

It is important to remove the ashes to keep your fireplace in good condition and prevent build-up.