1. Remove the andirons and grate from your fireplace and take them outside. Scrub them with a nylon brush to remove soot. Rinse with water and wipe dry. Use a metal polish for extra shine.
2. Return to your fireplace and, using a fireplace shovel, remove piles of ashes and debris. Discard in the trash can.
3. Once the large piles are removed, scrub the walls of the fireplace with a nylon brush. Place newspapers along the bottom to collect the falling soot. Begin at the top, and work your way down. Remove the newspapers and discard.

Optional: Use a vacuum hose or hand-vac to remove excess dust.

1. Now that you’ve removed all dust, soot and debris, you can use a warm-water, bleach and Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) solution to deep-clean your fireplace walls and floor. Mix 6 tablespoons of TSP, 1 cup of bleach and 1 gallon of warm water into a plastic bucket.
2. Wearing rubber gloves, dip your nylon brush into the bucket, and then use the solution to scrub the walls and floor of your fireplace until they’re clean. (Old fireplaces may contain stains you can’t remove.)
3. Rinse the floor and walls with clean water and towel-dry.
4. Replace your grate and andirons.