If your chimney is small and has minimal creosote deposition, you don’t have to go through the trouble of hiring a chimney cleaning professional as you can quickly clean it on your own.

Tips to ensure that you professionally clean the chimney

One of the things you should do is to clean the chimney using high-quality products. Most people make the mistake of investing in cheap, low-quality cleaning products which is wrong. Even if you aren’t a professional, invest in good quality products. Some of the products you need to successfully and efficiently clean the chimney include: safety glasses, duffel bag, tape measure, dust mask, wire brush, cordless drill, plastic sheet, shop vacuum, and old clothes.

One of the things you should pay close attention to is the chimney brushes. When you are the in the store, carefully go through them and ensure that they are of high quality. In addition to quality, also, ensure that they are of the right size and shape.

Another thing you need to do to keep your chimney in top shape is to know when it’s time to clean your chimney. You need to clean the chimney if:

• There is visible soot in the chimney flue
• Smoke accumulates in the chimney when you light fire
• You regularly burn unseasoned wood
• You keep the damper open

If you aren’t sure of whether your chimney is ripe for cleaning, consider hiring a chimney contractor to help you out. Most of the professionals can do it by simply looking at the fireplace.

Safety tips when cleaning the chimney

Plenty of accidents have been reported when homeowners fall from the chimney and hurt themselves. To protect yourself from the injuries you need to observe a number of cleaning safety tips. Some of the things you need to do include:

• Use an extension ladder, instead of a step ladder
• Place the ladder in a way that it rests against the eaves and extends a few feet above the eaves
• Be cautious of the footing of the ladder. Ensure that t, the ladder rests on a hard surface such as asphalt or concrete. If the ground is wobbly, the ladder might fall. Unless when climbing the ladder, don’t go near the edge of the roof.

Conclusion

These are some of the tips to consider when cleaning your chimney. If you aren’t confident in your skills or your chimney is too big, hire a chimney sweep to help you with the cleaning.