how to clean fireplace hearth

You can also use a mixture of equal parts of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to provide stronger cleaning power. You may also use 1 part rubbing alcohol with 8 parts water as an alternative. References. A stone hearth needs to be cleaned more frequently than brick fireplace hearths. This article was co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH. If you still notice dirt and debris, then try cleaning the brick fireplace hearth with a foaming bathroom cleaner. By using our site, you agree to our. Clean the hearth with pH balanced liquid dish soap and water. Scrub thoroughly on the grout, which typically accumulates the most dirt. Driscoll received her Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016. Spray on the bricks and let is sit for a few minutes. One of the main reasons you may need to clean your electric fireplace is due to a build up of dust. Wet a cloth with the cleaning mixture and wring out the excess water. Cleaning Your Fireplace with Ordinary Household Items 1 Use baking soda and soap for a convenient cleaning method. Last Updated: June 17, 2020 Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. To clean the fireplace grate and/or andirons (rails used to support logs), remove the grate/andirons from the firebox, then dunk a scrub brush in the TSP solution and gently scrub … These non-combustible materials help to keep the heat of the fire away from your house, while also providing an aesthetically pleasing platform for your fireplace that can be designed to suit the décor of your home. TSP is toxic, so again, wear proper safety gear like gloves, goggles, and a face mask. Pay special attention to the corners, as this is where a lot of grime can build up unnoticed. Stone is porous and holds on to dirt. Allow the hearth ample time to dry before using the fireplace again. Use a half cup of TSP in three quarts of water for your cleaning solution. To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience. Dip a scrub brush in the mixture, then use it to clean the stones. This method is particularly useful if the stains on your slate were caused by smoke or soot. If you only light your fire once or twice a week then we advise doing this once a month instead of weekly, so long as you sweep the hearth regularly. Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. Pour this vinegar directly from a bottle or use a spray bottle to get into crevices. There are 17 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Remove Foundation Makeup Stains from Shirts, Hair and Carpet. Mix 2 tablespoons of high-alkaline cleaner into a bucket of water. Deep-Cleaning your Fireplace Now that you’ve removed all dust, soot and debris, you can use a warm-water, bleach and Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) solution to deep-clean your fireplace walls and floor. Clean the slate around your fireplace every 2-3 months to prevent the buildup of grime and stains, even if the hearth doesn’t look dirty. Some “do’s” and some “don’ts”. Slate hearths need to be cleaned regularly to prevent and remove the grime and stains that build up on them. Gently wipe/pat down hearth with a dry cloth. You can also use slate oil instead of teak oil, although the former is usually more expensive and a bit harder to find in stores. Wipe the cloth over the limestone hearth, starting at the bottom and working your way up. Scrub with a sponge and rinse with water. Don’t apply too much pressure when you go to scrub the slate. First, consult your owner's manual. Smokers must have been upstairs too. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. I have gotten most of the dirt stain off, but now have a gray stain. Wipe down hearth with clean water, ensuring no soapy residue is left behind. Try baking soda on a scrub sponge and see if that will help. (You can also purchase distilled water from a shop.) Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Website operating Rinse the hearth with a soft sponge dipped in clear water when you're done scrubbing out all of that dirt. I've got an old fireplace, and the hearth in terrible shape. Mix one cup ammonia with one pound of finely ground pumice and water to create a thick paste. Here we will try to help by giving you some tips on cleaning slate, they are as follows; 1 Candle wax, this is not easy to rectify, use quality blotting paper and a hot iron. Mix 6 tablespoons of TSP, 1 cup of bleach and 1 gallon of warm water into a plastic bucket. Brush the soot and dirt from the fireplace first so particles won’t fall onto the hearth during cleaning. If this solution does not work, try removing stains with harsher chemicals such as trisodium phosphate, or TSP. We welcome your comments and We're moving into a place with a non-functional fireplace and a stained hearth. This will make sure the cleaner will not leave traces when the hearth dries. Don’t let water pool up on your slate since the water will absorb into it. Fill the spray bottle with water to spritz the walls and floor of the cement fireplace hearth thoroughly. Here’s how to clean a fireplace using these ingredients: Combine 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar with a little water to make a paste. Avoid using a bucket that’s too small. If your fireplace is very dirty, apply the cleaning solution with a sponge and let it sit for a few minutes. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. LaVerne Jutila. As electric fireplaces are electrical appliances you don’t want to be using excess water or liquid cleaning products when cleaning the outside of the unit. Mix one cup ammonia with one pound of finely ground pumice and water to create a thick paste. Refrain from using steel wool, as this might cause damage to the slate. A homemade cleaning recipe for stone that works well is to mix 1/2 to 1 cup of trisodium phosphate (TSP) with one gallon of hot water. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/fd\/Clean-a-Slate-Hearth-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-a-Slate-Hearth-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fd\/Clean-a-Slate-Hearth-Step-1.jpg\/aid10808973-v4-728px-Clean-a-Slate-Hearth-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"