Look in your kitchen for the "secret ingredient" for properly cleaning your fireplace

A fireplace serves as both a decorative piece and an important element in our homes, providing warmth to our rooms and creating a cozy ambiance with the crackling of the burning wood and vibrant colors of its flames.

However, the downside of owning a fireplace is the necessity of regular cleaning it to prevent mishaps. Besides the easily removable soot produced, a major concern is the presence of creosote. When wood is burned, this dense, sticky, and oily substance forms from the combination of wood acids and moisture, likely depositing on the chimney's walls (flue) and ducts. Removing creosote is a complex task, involving the use of chemical compounds and posing potential danger as they could ignite within the chimney during use.

So, how can we effectively clean our fireplace before using it in the winter? Let's explore the kitchen's "secret ingredient" for a solution.

Use potato peels to clean the fireplace

cassssIOO/Reddit

In addition to having significant health benefits, making them useful both for consumption and cosmetics, potato peels also prove to be highly effective for cleaning the fireplace and removing creosote from the chimney. How can we make use of this byproduct of our meals for fireplace cleaning?

Firstly, it is necessary to dry the peels by leaving them on a tray in a dry place for 1 or 2 days. Once dried, it will be sufficient to light the fireplace and burn the potato peels so that the creosote deposited on the chimney dries out completely, losing all its dangerous properties. Acorns also have the same effect as potato peels: collect them during the autumn and put them in the fire.

While this action is effective, it does not eliminate the need to call a professional for a thorough cleaning. However, you can easily remove the dried creosote afterward.

The proper cleaning of the fireplace using natural methods.

chrisbb@prodigy.net/Flickr

For the proper cleaning of the fireplace, you can use various natural methods:

• Ash is highly effective in cleaning stove and fireplace glass. Simply dip a sheet of newspaper into the ash and rub it on the glass for a thorough cleaning.
• White alcohol vinegar is an effective and non-toxic method for cleaning hard stone fireplaces. However, it is not suitable for cleaning marble, for which a mixture of alcohol, baking soda, and water is preferable. Spray this mix directly on the surface, let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub off with a brush and dry with a clean cloth.
• The wooden parts of your fireplace can be effectively cleaned with a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil.

Now your fireplace is perfectly clean and ready to warm you up!