Fireplaces

Bricks

• Clorox Bleach. Remove any soot that has settled or hardened on the fireplace glass or external decorative bricking with a solution of ¾ cup Clorox Bleach and one gallon water.

• Dawn Dishwashing Liquid and Morton Salt. Mix equal parts Dawn Dishwashing Liquid and Morton Salt and add enough water to make a cream. Rub the mixture into the brick surface with a cloth. Let dry for ten minutes and then scrub with a stiff brush. Wipe clean with water and a sponge.

• Easy-Off Oven Cleaner. To clean a brick fireplace, don a respirator, rubber gloves, and protective eyewear and spray the bricks with Easy-Off Oven Cleaner (making sure the room is well ventilated). Wait fifteen minutes and wash off with soapy water.

Deodorizing

• Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. To eliminate the lingering smell of smoke from a fireplace, empty four to five large boxes of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. Into the shelf behind the damper. Simply open the damper, reach up above it, and pour the baking soda behind it. Sodium bicarbonate absorbs smoke odor.

Fire Screen

• Heinz White Vinegar and Parsons' Ammonia. To clean a painted fire screen, mix ½ cup Heinz White Vinegar, one teaspoon Parsons' Ammonia, and one gallon warm water. Dampen a clean cloth with the solution and wipe down both sides of the screen. Rinse the screen clean with a cloth dipped in warm water.

Flames

• NoSalt. To make the flames in a wood fireplace glow pink for a romantic occa-sion, sprinkle NoSalt on the wood logs before lighting. NoSalt, a salt substitute made from potassium chloride (rather than sodium chloride), makes the flame burn pink.

Glass Doors

• Easy-Off Oven Cleaner and Heinz White Vinegar. To clean stubborn smoke stains from glass fireplace doors, wearing a respirator, gloves, and protec-tive eyewear, spray Easy-Off Oven Cleaner on the doors, let sit for ten minutes, then wipe clean. Rinse the doors well with a solution made from equal parts Heinz White Vinegar and water and buff dry.

Soot

• Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. To absorb the smell of soot, fill a shallow pan with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and place it on the floor inside your fireplace.

• Morton Salt. To reduce the amount of soot in your wood fireplace, toss a hand-ful of Morton Salt on the fireplace logs every few weeks.

Squirrels

• Old Spice After Shave Lotion. To repel squirrels from your chimney, spray the area with Old Spice After Shave Lotion. The fragrant aroma of the after shave naturally repels squirrels.