Ammonia for Chimney Cleaning
- There are a couple of ways to use ammonia to make your own chimney cleaner. For example, mix 1 cup of ammonia with 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Then add 1/4 cup of baking soda, and dilute the entire mixture with a gallon of water. Alternatively, you can mix one part ammonia to one part laundry detergent (make sure the detergent does not have bleach in it) and then dilute that mixture with a gallon of hot water.
Simply apply these mixtures to the brick and allow them to soak in for about 15 minutes. Use a stiff brush to scrub soot and other grime from the bricks. - Some individuals have found success by placing a pan of ammonia at the chimney cleanout or the bottom of the fireplace (only when the fireplace has not been used for at least a few days) and letting it sit for a couple of days. This can help loosen soot and creosote, making it much easier to clean the chimney later.
- Ammonia should never be mixed with bleach, and it is best to use rubber gloves when using ammonia to clean anything. Do not use ammonia with your chimney brushes, as they are not designed for this and you could damage them or reduce their effectiveness, which will cause all kinds of problems later. Neither should you ever pour anything down your chimney -- use a sponge mop or apply ammonia-cleaning mixtures to the chimney bricks by hand.
Additionally, although ammonia is a safe cleaner for fireplaces and chimneys, always have your fireplace and chimney evaluated by a professional chimney sweep before using it and before deciding to clean it yourself. It can be difficult to tell how dirty a chimney or fireplace is before you get into cleaning it, and you don't want to run into problems later or risk setting your house on fire because it has not been cleaned properly.