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Proper Ash Removal

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Enjoying cozy and warm fires in your wood-burning fireplace or stove comes with a few responsibilities, including cleaning up ashes after fires. This maintenance task requires a bit of safety awareness to prevent the occurrence of an accidental fire. Since safety is a top priority for Atlas Chimney, we would like to tell you more about proper ash removal. It is important to keep up with regular routine chimney and fireplace maintenance to be able to safely and efficiently burn wood fires. Following these suggestions can help you take care of this essential housekeeping task.

Wait until the ashes have cooled completely.

chimney filled with ashes

Patience is a virtue when you must remove ashes from your fireplace. You should wait for at least 24 hours before attempting this task. You never know when hot embers could be lurking within a pile of ashes.

Get the right tools together.

To properly dispose of ashes, you will need a metal container with a lid, gloves, and a fireplace shovel. It is crucial that your metal container have a lid to keep the ashes inside in case the container gets knocked over after it has been stored.

Scoop the ashes into the metal container with the fireplace shovel.

Once your ashes have cooled completely, Good Housekeeping recommends that you sprinkle damp tea leaves or coffee grounds on top to cover up any stale smell. Then, simply scoop up the ashes with the shovel and place them in your metal container. You will want to leave behind a layer of one inch of the ashes as this layer will help you build and maintain fires. A layer of ashes insulates and protects your firebox.

Store the metal container safely.

The best place to keep your container of ashes is outside of your home. You will want to put the container on a non-combustible surface, such as concrete or brick, to reduce fire hazards. If any of the ashes inside the container are still hot, that heat can ignite a fire if the container is placed on a wooden or other combustible surface.

If you have a wet/dry vacuum with a disposable bag, you can use it to vacuum up the ashes; however, you should wait at least four days after the fire has been extinguished to use this method of removing ashes.

Need more fireplace maintenance tips? Contact us at Atlas Chimney to find out the best ways of taking care of your fireplace.