Removing soot and soot takes a lot of time if some features of handling these contaminants are not taken into account. You won’t be able to remove stains with water using brushes and rags; you need to find a different approach and means to remove soot.
What you need to know about soot and soot
First of all, you should find out what soot actually is. This term describes the remains of burnt items and materials. It is impossible to remove soot with water, since when it interacts with it, the substance turns into a viscous mass, which only eats more deeply into all the cracks and gaps.
At the same time, the soot has a rather pungent and unpleasant odor, which makes cleaning a more unpleasant pastime than usual. Cleaning must be carried out using all safety regulations, since particles of the substance can penetrate the respiratory tract into the human body, thereby harming some organs.
Cleaning should be carried out wearing safety glasses, rubber gloves and a respirator. At the same time, it is worth taking care in advance about the clothes in which the cleaning will be carried out. It’s worth choosing things that you won’t mind throwing away later.
Soot is a fairly greasy substance that can only be removed using fat-dissolving agents. You can wash off soot from your hands using dishwashing gel or laundry soap; it is not advisable to use anything else.
Preparatory stage
You should first familiarize yourself with the room that needs to be cleaned and assess the degree of contamination. You need to get rid of things that cannot be restored. Then you should choose an effective method of getting rid of contaminants in the current situation.
In this case, you need to clean the items using the products that are at hand. You should also get rid of the pungent odor. Most often this is done at the final stage of cleaning using disinfectants, but during the cleaning process the room must be made well ventilated.
For cleaning, you should select a non-toxic solvent. You need to take care of a large amount of rags in advance. This is required so that you can change the tool for a clean one without stopping work. This must be done in a timely manner so as not to leave stains on the surfaces.
First of all, it is recommended to dry clean the room, which will help get rid of excess dust and soot particles. This can be done using a vacuum cleaner (do not use a detergent), or an ordinary broom. Then you should think about choosing a product that will help you wash away soot and soot.
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Video presentation - how the chimney cleaner works
After this period, it is necessary to clean the chimney elbow and the chambers where soot usually collects - there can be from three to five of them, depending on the design of the stove. Using a vacuum cleaner or fireplace brush, remove all deposits from the stove damper, since it must open and close freely - this is very important for the safety of residents.
When purchasing such products, you should definitely study the instructions on the packaging regarding the technology for using this product and its composition, especially if it is based on chemicals. You also need to know that not every product is suitable for your heating device, so you should pay attention to all the nuances, for example, what chimney designs it is intended for.
How to remove soot and soot
There are a lot of soot removers, so it’s worth choosing the one that is best suited for cleaning a particular surface.
From smooth washable surfaces
There are often a large number of smooth surfaces in the interior, since they are more convenient to clean in everyday life. Cleaning soot from them is also not difficult: you need to use a hot soapy solution based on laundry soap, dishwashing gel, washing powder or shower gel.
The product used - a sponge, rag or napkin - must be moistened in the prepared solution and wipe off the dirt. In this case, it is worth monitoring the degree of contamination of the instrument and solution. As soon as they turn black, they should be changed.
From glass
Any special cleaner can handle stains on glass. You first need to remove excess soot using a soap solution, and then wash off the residue with the chosen product. A weak solution of ammonia or vinegar will also help get rid of soot.
From the tree
Wood is often used in the interior. Soot in most cases settles in and near the stove. Cleaning the fireplace from soot is done using certain chemical compounds: gasoline, ammonia or alcohol.
This may not help, since this material has a porous structure, into which a large amount of dirt gets clogged. The only way to deal with this kind of contamination is by grinding, which can be done using a special machine, or manually using fine-grained sandpaper.
From clothes
The most common washing powder used in everyday life can be used to remove soot from clothes, bed linen and curtains. You just need to soak the products in a soapy solution for a while, and then wash them using a washing machine.
From the skin
Removing soot from the skin is not difficult - you just need to wash your hands in hot water using soap or dishwashing detergent.
Concrete and brick
Table vinegar is an excellent remedy for soot. You should first moisten the contaminated surface with water and then treat the stains with acid. Subsequently, you will only have to remove the remaining dirt with a brush, and therefore you should not worry once again about how to wash the soot from concrete and brick.
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Ceiling
Alcohol, gasoline and any other solvent will help restore the cleanliness of the ceiling. To remove stronger contaminants, it is worth preparing a mixture whose main active ingredient is sodium bicarbonate. It must be mixed with detergent in the required quantities (it should have the consistency of sour cream).
It is worth checking the effectiveness of the product, as well as its safety for covering an inconspicuous area. If there is whitewash on the ceiling, you can use ethyl alcohol. It will help remove most of the dirt, but changing the ceiling covering will most likely be necessary, as gray stains may remain.
PHC compositions
This powder, which is poured into the firebox, has anti-carbon properties. Its composition is similar to copper sulfate. Approximately 200 g of this substance is enough to clean after burning 1 ton of firewood.
"Comedian"
It has the form of a powder, the catalysis of which begins during heat treatment. At the same time, there is a decrease in the temperature at which all soot burns.
"Log Chimney Sweep"
Produced in briquettes and used in conjunction with other types of fuel (solid, liquid). To clean small fireplaces, one piece of pelletized material is placed for a period of 60 days. If the oven size is large, you will need to use two briquettes.
Before you start using Polen, you need to clear the chimney of debris. The product is burned on hot coals directly in the package. Its active ingredients will last approximately 14 days. After this, you need to inspect the chimney, then start cleaning the firebox.
Cleaner HG
This chemical, manufactured in Holland, is intended to remove plaque from household pipes. The manufacturer recommends using this powder once every 6 months. It is enough to pour two tablespoons of the product onto hot solid fuel.
Before using any of the chemical products described above, you should carefully study the instructions included with the product. It is mandatory to comply with all specified requirements.
Not every summer resident is able to use such cleaning compounds. This problem can be solved in another way by turning to folk remedies.
Methods
Soot most often had to be cleaned in bathhouses and other rooms where boilers or stoves were located. That is why a sufficient number of methods have been preserved by which one can clean certain surfaces from this type of contamination.
Chemicals
Chemical products promise to purify the air in the room, and not just neutralize soot and carbon deposits. You can’t find them in every store, and this is their only significant disadvantage. The most popular and professional products are: BZ-20, Chist-Dezo, Facade Cleaner No. 2.
Folk remedies
Cleaning the chimney and other surfaces using folk remedies for removing soot is quite simple. You just need to take sand or crushed brick. Particles of these powders act on the surface in the same way as a scrub on the skin - exfoliates soot particles, which makes it possible to get rid of black spots.
Mechanical cleaning
Using sharp objects, you can simply remove dirt from the surface. For this, a spatula, a knife, an iron brush, as well as a grinding machine can be used, the latter significantly reducing the work time and allowing the surface to be cleaned more efficiently and evenly.
Hydrodynamic cleaning
Hydrodynamic cleaning is used in most cases for cleaning boilers. However, it is recommended to use it only when the thickness of the contamination is insignificant. The device consists of a pump and a container of water, which is supplied under high pressure. Strong pressure allows you to quickly and effectively remove dirt, but the method is used only by professionals.
TOP 5 cleaning chemicals or what the market offers us
Cleaning a chimney with your own hands is a real thing, but troublesome, we’ll talk about this a little later, but now we’ll look at the method that 95% of owners choose - buy a chimney cleaner, throw it into the firebox according to the instructions and forget about the problem.
No. 1 Products from the brand – Dymovoy
Domestic chimney cleaning products from the Dymovoy brand have proven themselves to be quite high-quality products. There are currently 3 variants of cleaners in the line.
| Photo | Recommendations |
| Box The most popular is the chimney cleaning kit. It looks like a regular box. According to the instructions, you need to remove the packaging polyethylene and throw the box into the firebox over the dying coals. The contents of the box will smolder for about an hour and a half, the product will dry the soot, and then, within 2 weeks, it will fly out into the chimney and fall into the firebox. The price of the box is about 600 rubles. | |
| Log As practice has shown, people like the chimney cleaner made in the form of a log more. The instructions and principle of operation here are the same as in the case of the box, but the price is for a log weighing 750 grams. is only 400 rubles. Perhaps this is the secret of popularity. | |
| Pellets Among chemical products, pellets are considered a narrow-profile option; they are used only for cleaning the chimneys of boilers running on pellets. The material is packaged in 5 kg packs, the price of 1 package is 850 – 900 rubles. According to the instructions, 1 ton of fuel requires 10 kg of purifier. On average, cleaning the boiler and chimney from soot is carried out once every 2 months. The video below in this article shows cleaning a pellet boiler with “Dimovaya” pellets. |
No. 2 Products from the brand – Chimney Sweep
Chimney Sweep products for cleaning chimneys appeared on the market almost simultaneously with products from the Dymovaya company; the most popular here is the Chimney Sweep log for cleaning chimneys. The line includes 3 types of logs weighing 750 g. 800 gr. and 1.3 kg, the price for them ranges from 220 to 550 rubles.
To clean the chimney of a potbelly stove or small fireplace, a log weighing 800 grams is enough, but to clean a large stove you will have to buy a chimney cleaner weighing 1.3 kg
No. 3 Cleaner from “Hansa”
The German brand “Hansa” has been on our market since the nineties, it produces one cleaning product, but in different packaging; you can buy a box with single-use sachets or a jar with a measuring spoon and pour in the powder at your discretion. Hansa powder does an excellent job of removing a thick layer of ingrained creosote, and the exfoliated mass burns out completely.
The cost of a half-kilogram box with 10 single-use bags is about 750 rubles, the same weight in a jar will cost 600 rubles, but it is most profitable to take a kilogram jar, the price for which fluctuates around 900 rubles.
"Hansa" makes an excellent product for cleaning chimneys from soot; it is most profitable to use the product packaged in kilogram jars
No. 4 Cleaner from the Vortex brand
Vortex chimney cleaning log is the only product supplied to our market by this brand. The product is quite good, the instructions are standard, we talked about them above. The advantage of such logs is that their price is relatively low, it ranges from 220 to 375 rubles, which is rare for a German company.
Logs from Vortex have established themselves as a fairly high-quality product
No. 5 Kominichek product
Bags of granules from the Czech company have been supplied to us since the times of the Soviet Union. Judging by the reviews, this chimney cleaner is not the best. One one-time sachet is designed for 1 kg of fuel, that is, you light 1 kg of wood or coal in the firebox and throw the sachet into the fire.
The manufacturer admits that the chemical is intended for prevention and not to combat soot build-up, plus users note the unpleasant odor of the product. As for the cost, the price of one pack of Kominichek with 5 single-use sachets ranges from 350 to 550 rubles.
At the moment, Kominichek is not very popular
Cleaning up after a fire
You must first remove all furniture from the room. Those items that cannot be repaired should be thrown away. It is advisable to take the rest outside, where they should be ventilated from the burning smell. Then you should remove all dust using a broom or vacuum cleaner.
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It is worth preparing a large container with a soap solution, with which you want to remove the maximum amount of dirt. If they do not respond, then you should use chemicals. Even if they do not cope with the task, then it is worth carrying out mechanical cleaning. But before that, you need to try more and more gentle methods.
After using solvents, ammonia or gasoline, you need to clean the room again using a soapy solution of hot water. It is advisable to add degreasers to create foam, since soot contains fatty particles.
At the same time, throughout the entire cleaning period, it is necessary to ventilate the room so as not to breathe fumes. If you don’t want to clean the room yourself, you can contact the appropriate services, which, using special means, will put the apartment in order in a shorter time. But this will require more material costs.
Tips and tricks
If the issue is not a fire, but simply the formation of soot due to a stove or fireplace, then it is worth knowing some recommendations for cleaning them. It is worth cleaning the chimney if carbon deposits more than 2 mm thick occur. This must be done in calm weather so that the soot does not fly away. At the same time, all shutters in the house should be closed so that ash does not penetrate inside.
In order to protect objects located near the fireplace from contamination, it is worth covering them with polyethylene and covering the floor with newspapers. Do not burn plastic products or synthetic materials in the fireplace. In addition to firewood and paper, you should not send any other items into the stove or fireplace, especially garbage.
In this case, you should definitely use dry firewood, since excess moisture will cause additional soot to settle on the walls of the chimney. Conifers should not be used frequently, since they actively release resin, which leads to the formation of resinous deposits, which only complicates the cleaning process.
Proper and timely cleaning will help to avoid many difficulties associated with the boiler and fireplace. Compliance with all rules for removing soot and soot will increase the effectiveness of the methods and reduce the time for cleaning products and surfaces.
Tool set
A professional chimney sweep service is quite expensive, and the instructions are not so complicated for an amateur, so next we will try to analyze it step by step and start with the tool.
There are not many devices for such work, and the main one among them has been a chimney brush for hundreds of years. Previously, this instrument was exclusively metal, but now plastic models have appeared.
Of course, it’s easier to buy a professional chimney brush, but high-quality models are expensive, and there’s no point in spending money on consumer goods. A good solution would be to make your own chimney brush. To do this, you can use a hard plastic broom or assemble a brush from elastic steel wire.
Scheme of a homemade brush for cleaning a chimney
Plastic brush
It is easier to make a plastic brush; for this you will need a hard plastic broom, which can be bought at any hardware store, 2 repair nuts with a ring, a threaded rod and a couple of wide washers. Plus weighting and a cable, but more on that later.
Assembling a brush for cleaning a chimney with your own hands will be inexpensive
The assembly instructions themselves are not complicated.
- Remove the top cap from the broom.
- Drill a hole in the center of the broom.
- Insert a pin into this hole.
- Place 2 wide washers on both sides of the stud.
- Screw on 2 repair washers with a ring on both sides of the stud; screw until the broom bristles are pulled apart.
- Hang a cable on one side and a weight on the other.
Homemade plastic brush for cleaning the chimney
Metal brush
The metal brush is also easy to assemble; the instructions are almost the same. The location of the parts is shown in the diagram above. Only instead of a plastic broom, you need to take a thick steel cable, cut it and disassemble it, and then use steel wire to assemble the brush.
Metal brush on a prefabricated rod made of PVC pipes
Important! The ideal option for weighting is a metal core, but it can be replaced with any other weighting material, the main thing is that the device is well centered. If you hang a weight with a shifted or changed center of gravity, such as a dumbbell, then it may jam directly in the chimney and then you will have to disassemble part of the pipe.
Flexible models
A wire brush is considered the main tool, but it is not the only one. The photo above shows a prefabricated rod made of PVC pipes. If you know how to solder PVC pipes, then you can assemble the rod yourself, otherwise, contact the mechanics at the housing office.
On this site there is a separate article on arranging a plastic pipeline with your own hands, there are step-by-step soldering instructions with photos and videos, using it you can solder a typesetting rod yourself, all this is “HERE” .
But you can’t do everything with your own hands, I recommend buying a brush with a fiberglass cable, it will be useful when cleaning rough channels in the oven.
When cleaning the furnace channels, you cannot do without a brush on a flexible fiberglass cable.
