�

Tools and materials
You really don't need a lot of help. A fireplace poker, a broom or old brush, a long rope and a few rags are all you need to get the job done. Maybe a screwdriver if some seam has a clasp. If you want to do a chemical cleaning you will need to get the right product.

�

Why clean
o A lack of cleaning in a chimney will block the proper evacuation of gas and residues.
o In serious cases it could causes fire to spread.
o Soot is a black substance produced when fossil fuels are burned.
o Particles of dust, acids, ash and tar-like substances are deposited on the walls of the chimney.
o As time goes by, this reduces the diameter of the space through which smoke exits and can block the space altogether.
o The spot where the greatest build-up occurs is in at turns in the exit conduits.

�

When to clean
o�Any time is good, but you should do it right away if you have doubts about the evacuation of smoke from your fireplace or it has been a long time since you last did it.
o Winter is far from over and better safe than sorry.
o It is best to do a cleaning for safety purposes every year, and do it twice if you use the fireplace a lot.

�

A trick
o To see if the blockage in your chimney is serious, carry out the following test:
o Light a piece of newspaper hold it up to the mouth of the smoke evacuation conduit.
o If the flame and smoke are absorbed easily, then in all likelihood there is no blockage.
o If it is not absorbed or this happens with difficulty, then you have no choice but to take the heater or stove apart and clean.
o Sometimes, tapping the sides of the chimney is good enough for an emergency, makeshift cleaning job.

�

Protecting your furniture
o Dust and particles are bound to fly, so you must first protect furniture, tables, sofas, chairs, lamps and shelves in the room where the fireplace is located. You should also cover the floor with cardboard or plastic.
o You must also remove the ash and cinders from the fireplace floor.
o Following instructions for disassembling your heater, expose the draught tube; this way you can clean easily and see if it is clogged.

�

How to remove soot if you can take the tubes apart
o If your heater and pipes allow it you can take the pipes apart from the base. This way you can clean all of them with a stick or a broom. If you can't reach with a stiff-bristle broom, tie other brooms to this until you can reach.
o At this point there may only remain the exit through the roof. But if you have managed to undo all the other conduits this will be easy.
o The heater's poker or scraper and your own arms can unclog the walls as far as this technique allows.

�

How to do it if you cannot take the tubes apart
o�This is common and can cause problems, especially if there is no easy access to the roof.
o Two people are needed for the job. One should go up to the mouth of the chimney from the outside (take care not to fall) and the other must work from inside the house.
o Fashion a long pole with a steel-bristle brush and rags at the end. To this tie a rope twice as long as the evacuation tubes. This will do the cleaning.
o The diameter of this makeshift tool must be slightly greater than that of the chimney so that it scrapes the walls without damaging them.
o With each person holding an end of the rope slide it up and down to clean the walls.

�

A tip
o You can use professional cleaning products if you don't have the proper equipment or access to the tubes is difficult. They are usually powders or granules that you toss on the fire when its embers are red hot.
o The granules burn and release smoke that cleans residue from the walls. Then you clean up.
o You must repeat the operation several times. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully, and do this burning once a week for maintenance purposes.