give your heating a spring clean
Spruce up your heating
CALL in A CHIMNEY SWEEP Don't cut corners on this - it's best to get the professionals in to clean your chimney or flue. Visit nacs.org.uk to find a National Association of Chimney Sweeps member in your area.
CLEAN Your OPEN Fire First, remove the grate and the front bars and sweep out all the ash. Using a nylon bristled brush and a solution of washing up liquid and warm water, scrub the hearth clean of any remaining ash and soot. Finish by dusting the surround and giving it a final wipe clean.
Spruce up Your STOVE Some stoves can be tricky to empty out completely due to the size of the door opening, so if your budget allows, invest in an ash vacuum to ensure a thorough clean. Once you’ve vacuumed it out, use a scraper or hard-bristled brush to remove any burnt-on soot. Next, use a specialist stove glass cleaner and, with newspaper, give the soot-covered glass door a thorough clean. Finally, wipe around the seal on the door and then clean the exterior completely.
FRESHEN up Your FAUX Fire If yours is an open-gas fire, suck up any dirt or dust using the hose attachment on your vacuum cleaner. If your fire has small lava rocks, cover the hose opening with a length from a pair of old tights secured with an elastic band so you don’t vacuum them up. Faux logs will need to be removed and gently brushed clean of any dust. For gas fires with glass panels, wipe the glass clean using a stove glass cleaner. Finally, wipe down the surround using a soft, damp cloth.
FINISH with Your RADIATORS Before you start, make sure your heating is switched off. Using a longhandled brush, fish out all the dust bunnies and odd socks from the back of your radiator. Repeat to clean between the radiator panels. Using a washing-up liquid solution, wipe down the exterior with a sponge until clean.