Clean with a hard bristle brush. Mine was not a wood burning fireplace so I chose to clean with TSP and water and rinse. Rinse the sponge as much as needed to remove the cleaning solution from the cement. Most everyone enjoys a crackling fire during the winter months, but no one likes the look of a dirty and stained fireplace hearth. Allow the muriatic acid solution to sit on the cement for no more than 10 minutes. Spread old coffee grounds atop wood ash and soot. A dirty fireplace takes away from that atmosphere. Smoke and soot can waft out and leave the stone dingy. Commit to regularly cleaning the fireplace after the burning season ends to keep it looking nice and to appreciate it for years to come. Lay plastic sheeting, a tarp, dropcloth or newspapers in front of the fireplace to keep it clean as you work. To clean with oxygen bleach, you’ll need: Trisodium phosphate, a white powder used for cleaning and as a food additive, is great for removing tough stains. A fireplace can give your home an inviting and comfy feeling and typically brings to mind relaxed nights spent with loved ones in front of a blazing hearth. Allow the paste to sit on the discolored areas until the cement returns to its original color. Mix warm water with a little washing-up liquid; if you’re cleaning a slate or granite hearth with soapy water, you can use the same solution. A raised fireplace hearth is a hearth that is built up from the floor. Pilgrim Black Fireplace Tools With Cast Iron Ball Handle, Pilgrim Bowed Ball & Claw Fireplace Screen - Burnished Black, Keep Your Chimney and Fireplace Creosote-Free, Use Firebox Paint to Keep Your Fireplace Looking New, Tips to Consider When Moving to a House With a Fireplace, safety supplies including acid-resistant gloves, thick clothing to cover all exposed skin, eye and face protection, and a respirator, a wooden bristle brush with a long handle, proper disposal methods as listed on the container of acid. Brenner graduated from San Diego's Coleman College. Soak the sponge in the clean water and wring it out. Ammonia is caustic, so protect your skin and eyes with long sleeves and protective goggles. The vinegar will break down and remove any greasy residue that may have built up on the hearth. Wear a long-sleeved shirt to protect your arms when working with it. Many fireplace hearths are cement so they take a little extra effort to clean. If, after the fireplace hearth dries, there are still stains remaining, it's time for a more powerful cleaner. If you want to have a break at some point, schedule it during a non time-sensitive part of the process. The old fireplace has been sealed. To clean with trisodium phosphate, you’ll need: Muriatic acid, a less pure version of hydrochloric acid, is very powerful, and not just for cement cleaning. How Often to Clean Fireplace Bricks When soot accumulates, it leaves the odor of smoke and unsightly black stains on bricks, ceramic tiles and grout, carpets, drapes and upholstery , and painted surfaces. Scrub the powdery residue with the brush while avoiding getting the residue on yourself. The hearth, however, is often forgotten. Step 3: Prime and Paint the Fireplace. Wearing protective gloves, dip a sponge in the mixture and apply it to the wet cement hearth. Repeat the process for hard-to-remove stains or discolored areas of the cement fireplace. To clean with muriatic acid, you’ll need: This article may be more intimidating than inspiring. Make a paste from oxygen bleach and water and apply it to tough stains. If you are going to use it, I strongly recommend reading through Bob Villa’s muriatic acid safety article. To clean out the gas logs, turn off the fireplace’s pilot light, place the logs onto paper outside the fireplace, then vacuum up the soot. Again, make sure you’re being careful to protect yourself and the non-cement surfaces in your home. I put down a drop cloth, and then used a bucket of warm water and scrub brush to clean the aggregate stones. In a fireplace without a chimney cover, the rain water will pool on the smoke shelf, mix with the soot behind the damper, and form an acidic slurry that can destroy the mortar joints. Beside this, how do you stain a concrete fireplace hearth? Test your concrete fireplace to make sure it accepts the stain. Tape thin plywood or cardboard to floor around hearth to protect floor from scratches and debris. of dish washing detergent and 6 cups of water in a bucket. The burning season ends to keep it that way of a good cleaning acid container label, it... As much as possible and painted to look like burning wood logs, so protect your skin eyes! It clean as you work pan and place it in a bucket of water! 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