Fireplace soot is a very stubborn stain. This is why Native Americans use it to make ink. You will inevitably have chimney soot at your fireplace if you cherish the crackle and warmth of a lively fire. Soot will be attached to soft surfaces like carpets, the hearth and mantle and will need to be removed. To ease the process, you can invest in a chimney soot cleaner. The biggest fireplace cleaning challenges that require cleaning are:-
- Black soot on the glass.
- The pile of old ashes in the firebox.
- Smoky stains on the surrounding brick, marble, or tile.
Chimney Soot Cleaner : How Soot is Classified?
Chimney soot cleaning experts have generally classified soot by the fuel type burned before the soot is formed.
Gas soot
Although gas fires do not produce soot and if any, the very small negligible quantity, it does not however imply that gas chimneys do not require cleaning. They still need to be cleaned to get rid of dust and cobwebs.
Oil soot
Soot produced when oil is the fuel is very fine, black, sticky and extremely toxic. It is highly recommended that the appropriate chimney soot cleaner is used to address this type of soot.
Soot from burned wood
Dry and hard wood produces a black, relatively fine powder. Unseasoned wood, on the other hand, leads to creosote buildup.
Burning Rules that Minimize Need for Chimney Soot Cleaner
Contrary to layman beliefs, soot is not merely black dirt. Soot is hazardous, toxic and contains cancer causing compounds and must only be tackled by chimney soot cleaners or specialists who know how to deal with them. Soot contains highly corrosive compounds especially when wet and must thus be removed from the flue system to prevent premature deterioration of the system.
-Burn dry, seasoned and quality fuel that produces small amounts of very fine soot. Fine soot has very high levels of volatile residue remaining in it. Burning low quality or wet wood produces lots of dense heavy soot with high levels of volatile residue.
-Burning unseasoned wood in an enclosed environment with limited oxygen, inadequate turbulence or insufficient heat produces flammable creosote. Creosote is the biggest cause of chimney fires owing to its highly flammable nature.
-The harder the creosote deposit the more aggressive the cleaning method required. Naturally, the more abrasive the cleaning method the more the risk of damaging the flue and that is why you need professional-grade chimney soot cleaner.
As a homeowner, you might be may be tempted to try to DIY but there is so much more to smoke and soot removal than just cleaning with a detergent and a rag.
Here is Why You Need to Hire a Quality Chimney Soot Cleaner
Apart from soot formed during burning fuel in your fireplace, soot can also become a problem following a fire. Excessive burning of candles indoors can also lead soot buildup which can sometimes lead to “ghosting”- where soot particles cling to walls and ceilings due to electrostatic attraction.
Soot can also negatively affect the quality of indoor air. Once the air is contaminated and you and your family are breathing the tiny particles- this can lead to coronary heart diseases, bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
Research shows particle exposure leads to around 20,000 premature deaths in America each year many of which were caused by soot-related diseases. Data has also revealed that soot causes almost 300,000 asthma attacks annually.
Health risks aside, soot cleaning needs more than just wiping off.
Plastic and fiberglass turn yellow when they are too close to the fire. This isn’t a stain that can just be wiped off without expertise. A good chimney soot cleaner will clean your walls the right way avoid permanent staining, if not cleaned well, , it can compact the residue and make things worse.
Glass, including fireplace door glass, will look etched after long exposure to heat, ash, and smoke which combined can destroy the chemical composition of glass. It’s important that all traces of smoke and soot be cleaned to make the home or business premise habitable.
As mentioned earlier, there is more to smoke and soot removal than mere wiping with rag and detergent, opening windows or applying carpet sprays. Neither can the smell be camouflaged with candles nor air fresheners because it’s entrenched deep in the carpeting and household surfaces. An average homeowner often does not realize this and that is why you need quality chimney soot cleaner before the damage is permanent.
Need a quality chimney soot cleaner? Look no further. Our highly trained professionals can remove soot, toxins and the overwhelming smell of smoke from your property and restore damaged items before they’re permanently ruined.