Before you start your first fire of the season, take a few moments to put your fireplace in order. You can do this in less than a half-hour if you gather everything you need. Here's the list:
If you’ve recently lit a fire, wait at least a day before you clean it. The ashes need to completely cool. Then, lay the tarp or drop-cloth in front of the hearth. Put on a protective apron or old clothes. Situate the kneeling pads and don your rubber gloves.
Carefully lift out any tinder, kindling, or logs. Keep those that are burnable and set charred ones to the side for the trash bin. Then brush ash off the grate, remove it and place it to the side. Sprinkle a handful of the used coffee grounds onto the remaining ash to keep it from billowing up and filling the room. Then shovel out the ash into your metal bucket. With your broom and dustpan, sweep out the remaining ash, being careful to get into the corners and as far up the chimney as you can reach. Use your broom to sweep ash and dust off the screens too.
Spray water onto the areas stained with soot. If you have a newer fireplace (less than 50 years old), you can use a hearth cleaner if you like, following all directions on the packaging. For older fireplaces, use just water. If your firebox has stone or marble, add a little dish soap to the water bottle. Gently scrub with your brush and then rinse and wipe dry with the soft cloth. Wipe down your grate and fireplace tools with a damp cloth, next.
Use paper towels and a solution of vinegar and water (1-part vinegar to 9-parts water) to clean the glass doors, back and front, where applicable. Then, carefully fold up your tarp, keeping all the ash and debris inside, and take it out to the trash. Let the ash sit in the metal can overnight outside before sprinkling it on flowerbeds or tossing it in the vegetation recycling bin.
Now that your fireplace is sparkling clean, you're ready for any weather the season throws at you. If you're placing your house on the market, instead of lighting a fire, consider setting candles in it. Ask your professional home stager for other advice on making your home friendlier to visiting homebuyers.
