How To Clean Fireplace Tools

Cleaning Fireplace Utensils

Feb. 8, 1990

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February 8, 1990

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It has been a shivery winter, and the fireplace has been burning more than usual. The once-gleaming brass tools that provide rich accents in a room - shovel, tongs, andirons, poker, brass-trimmed screen - are covered with soot and badly stained by smoke, fire gases and resinous secretions. As one fireplace expert put it, ''It's time for open-hearth surgery.''

Cleaning fireplace utensils at home is generally a three-step process, said Robert D. Nelson, the president of William H. Jackson Company at 3 East 47th Street in Manhattan. Begin by removing the lacquer used to preserve the shine on utensils.

''This can be done with a solvent or thinner like turpentine,'' said Mr. Nelson, whose 164-year-old company renovated fireplaces at the White House during the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations.

The second step, he said, is to clean the brass with turpentine. ''You may have to apply physical force with a tool, like a putty knife, if the soot or resin is baked on hard,'' he advised. ''Then use a very fine emery cloth - No. 320 or 220 - to smooth out any scratches.''

Polishing is the third step. If resin or other dirt resists removal, it will have to be buffed out by machine, Mr. Nelson said. ''Or redip the utensils in chemicals. Incidentally, do not lacquer if you are going to continue to do this job yourself.''

Carmine Alessandro of Danny Alessandro Ltd.-Edwin Jackson Inc., a fireplace concern at 307 East 60th Street in Manhattan, said, ''There is no best way to clean fireplace tools.''

''If the dirt or stain is moderate, use Noxon or Windex, because most brass finishes are lacquered,'' Mr. Alessandro suggested. ''Heavily tarnished utensils should go to the shop for professional cleaning.''

Another cleaning method may not be the simplest, but it always gives good results. Begin by removing dust and loose soot and dirt with wet paper towels; wear rubber gloves.

Do not use brass polish at this stage. Instead, dip a brush in hot water to clean off more dirt and stain. Steel wool with a dash of abrasive should remove remaining patches of dirt. If not, vigorous buffing with larger steel threads, such as those used for cleaning pots, will do it. Dip them in hot water first.

Use brass polish if you must have a dazzling shine, not merely a gleam. Follow the directions on the container, and polish the tools with soft cloth.