As a homeowner, you know that you need to undertake chimney cleaning to keep your family safe. For you to properly clean your chimney you need to consider a number of tips that include:

Inspect the fireplace

Before you start the cleaning, you need to first inspect the fireplace. This will help you come up with a cleaning plan. You should get to the top of your chimney and shine a bright light. When you do this you will be able to tell the extent of soot accumulation and whether there are any dead animals up there.

Use high-quality cleaning materials

Since all they need to do is to get rid of soot, many homeowners have the impression that they can use any cleaning materials that they come across. This is wrong. Remember that you need to sweep your chimney at least once a year.

If you invest in low-quality materials, you won’t clean the chimney properly. The materials also won’t last for a long time thus you will be forced to buy new ones when the cleaning time comes—which as you know is expensive.

To avoid this, you should invest in high-quality chimney brushes, ladder, and any other thing you might need in your work.

Practice safety when cleaning

Chimney sweeping involves a lot of soot which can pose danger to you especially if you are asthmatic. For you to be safe you should protect yourself from the soot. This calls for you to wear a face mask and goggles to protect your eyes.

The task is also messy thus you should avoid using your clean, good clothes. The best way of going about it is wearing an apron or your used up clothes.

Still, on the safety issue, you should be cautious when getting on the chimney. Plenty of accidents have been reported of people cleaning their chimneys—you shouldn’t be one of them. Always ensure that the ladder you are using is sturdy. For you to have peace of mind, do the cleaning in the company of another person.

Conclusion

These are the tips to consider when cleaning your chimney. If you have the necessary tools and skills you should go ahead and clean the unit by yourself, but if you haven’t done it before, hire a chimney company to help you out.

As rule of thumb, ensure that the company you use is highly experienced and certified to work in your local area.