Spring cleaning? Don’t forget the fireplace
Did you know that we clean our homes in Spring because of the fireplace? Back in the days when homes were heated by real fires and not particularly well ventilated it was not unusual for them to have quite an accumulation of soot and grime over the winter months. As soon as longer and warmer days came along, homes and everything in them were cleaned.
Of course, modern fires and homes in Greater Manchester have come a long way since then but we still like to give our homes a bit of spit and polish at this time of year when sunshine streaming in through the window tends to highlight dust, dirt and mess that was not so apparent during the winter months!
One area to consider cleaning is, of course, your fire or fireplace.
Care of your stove
If your Greater Manchester home has a stove, most manufacturers will advise that your multi fuel or wood burning appliance should be serviced by a HETAS registered engineer once a year. If it is not, it could invalidate the warranty, and should your stove cause problems to your property or even a neighbours home, it could prevent a successful home insurance claim. The Heat Installer team will sweep your chimney and examine the various components of the stove to check they are in good condition. We will also clean the stove body and the glass leaving your stove both safe to use and looking as good as new.
Care of a gas fire
Your gas fire should only be serviced by a qualified Gas Safe engineer and so while you can dust around the outside of your cooled appliance, anything else should be carried out by a suitably qualified engineer. Regular servicing will ensure the fire is operating safely, carbon monoxide does kill around 50 people every year and so it is vital to have your fire examined. The Heat Installer team will ensure your fire, chimney or flue is operating as it should be and ensure all components are in good working order. We will also check the controls are working well and we will even clean your fuel bed and glass to leave your fire sparkling.
Care of your stone fireplace
If you are lucky enough to have a stone fireplace such as marble or stone, it will have natural veining and pitting and various other markings. These are a part of the stone’s natural beauty and can’t be cleaned and rubbed off. While there are several products available for cleaning stone, we don’t particularly recommend any. If you do use a product, you should always test it on an inconspicuous place first and wait for it to dry before checking that it doesn’t stain or leave marks. Stone doesn’t really need too much in the way of cleaning and regular dusting with a damp cloth should be more than enough.
Care of polished cast iron fireplace
Usually any new cast iron fireplace will have had a protective layer of oil applied and regular dusting with a lint free DRY cloth should ensure the surface looks nice and shiny for many years. Don’t ever use water or a damp cloth. Occasionally, your fireplace may have small rust marks and there are heat resistant products you can buy to paint over them – but again, please use a tiny bit first to check it is suitable.
Care or your electric fire
Many contemporary electric fire models allow users to enjoy the benefits of heat free flames and effects and so it is important to keep your electric fire looking spotless. The first thing to do is to switch it the appliance off at the mains and ensure that is fully cooled down before touching it. Never use abrasive cleaning products - a damp cloth or a lint free cloth is more than sufficient for the outer casings and frames. Most manufacturers will advise cleaning the air inlets with a vacuum cleaner as dust build up can inhibit your fire’s performance. Look out for pet hair and debris particularly around the fan as if there is too much build up, it could stop the fire from working at all.
Remember, gas fires and stoves should be serviced by a qualified engineer but if you do have any queries or questions about cleaning or caring for your fire – our team are happy to help.
