Can I Remove The Soot From The Fireplace? | Cottage Renovation Episode 48

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Here on my channel, I am renovating a 250 year old stone cottage on my property in Normandy, France. By using traditional, low-waste and off-grid methods, I'm aiming to keep the charm and character of this old building, and turn it into a furnished, finished home for family whilst keeping environmental impact as low as possible. There will also be content on living in France, visiting beautiful rural places, hunting for antiques, gardening and more! Hit subscribe if you would like to keep up with my journey, and hit the notification bell to be alerted when we go LIVE where we have a first viewing of the video as it is published with a live chat so I can answer all your questions! See you in Sean's World.

[@indiataylor1813]

You must be ready for a massage! I like that some of the fireplace stonework is still dark, because it’s part of the history of the cottage. I can imagine how that fireplace kept people warm, and how many meals were cooked there. You’ve done an amazing job lot. Remember that the dark stones tell a story!

[@NailahRoberts]

Have you tried oven cleaner Sean? Get the foaming kind and cover with cling film, leave over night then remove cling film and rinse down with plain water. X

[@snoopybluejeans]

Good idea. Cheap enough.

[@Seans_World]

Hi everyone 😊

[@sheilacondit8886]

Worth the effort!! Who doesn’t love looking at massive fireplace stones ❤

[@catherinemushaw1956]

Sean, heres a couple of thing you might try: Vinegar, lemon juice, and salt or baking soda and white vinegar. Also, you could try Easy-off oven cleaner for grills. Good luck with your project. Love and Light to All ❤

[@janegendreau6595]

I think you're definitely on the right track, Sean!! Hard work, but you're not shy of hard work, that's for certain!!! It's inspiring how all of that rain, rain, rain will not go to waste because you are retaining it to use elsewhere on your property!! 🇺🇸

[@tamithirion7766]

Excellent.... I like the natural stone behind the fireplace stove best. Even if they do not come up super clean it will be more authentic. Crossing fingers for you 👍

[@Seans_World]

Yes l just want them clean so it don't smell when the woodburner is fired up

[@pamelkamah6307]

Another vloger used vinegar and bi carb to clean it off. Worked well. 😊

[@judithburke1539]

It seems like he pretty much tried everything that was suggested all at once. Maybe trying different combinations of the suggested agents to find the one that works the best would be helpful. Sometimes combinations of cleaning agents can produce gasses that can be harmful. Check the packaging for warnings before combining them together. Take care.

[@nicolethijs5428]

But he shouldn’t do it like he did! Just spraying and tossing everything together on the stones.

[@lizzymoore54]

Looks like it’s cleaning up good, Sean. Tar is a booger to get totally off. Don’t let it dry though, it may just reabsorb into the stone. ❤

[@Ragnar8504]

That's also a cheap and cheerful oven cleaner.

[@lizzymoore54]

Tar is a booger to remove, isn’t it Sean? Looking good though. Don’t let the solution dry on the stones because it may just set itself deeper into the stone. Wash, rinse and repeat, reapply, and wash rinse repeat again. Can’t wait to see it completed and a big smile on your face! 👏👏👏☺️👏👏👏

[@bethsheeba1198]

Nice to see you help the little insect out of the window. xx

[@DirtyGoatArtsandCrafts]

My great grandfather and grandfather would dry out a couple weeks of potato peelings in the late summer and then burn the dried peels in the fireplaces (stone or brick, not metal sleeved). Something in the peels would cause that hardened tar residue to dry and flake. A stiff brushing later and things always looked much better. Potatoes were consumed at least once a day so it’s a fairly healthy amount.

[@Seans_World]

Yes l know this to be true 👍

[@lindacushing7780]

The soot gives it Character it's gonna look magnificent if you leave some of it on there.

[@jasminelouisefarrall]

I love the sound of rain 👍 great job Sean 👍

[@lyndalawrence9870]

oh my, that is going to take lots of wiping up

[@T-RexRita]

There is a vinegar that is sold online because it's more powerful than the stuff you buy off the shelves. The vinegar in stores is like 4%, but look for the vinegar online that is 45%. Definitely must have masks on, gloves, glasses and Good ventilation when using. I also recommend wire cup brushes and a 3/4 " wire tip brush for the drill, to get into the recesses in the stones. Looking better every day 👍👍

[@sinacarroll]

After Stephanie from Chateau de Lalande had her chimneys cleaned, the French chimney sweep told her in French: keep your potato skin peels. Dry them out and throw them on the fire when you're done at the end of the night. The dried skins burn and offgas and prevent soot build up.They turn to ask and are good to mix in with regular ash in the garden. I don't know if it can remove what you're working on, but from the way he described it, they can prevent this type of build up.

[@peterwhite9261]

No problem, Sean. We have 90 to 100k winds here now with power surges.

[@wileycoyotesr8623]

My great aunt, Belinda Lorraine, cleaned fireplace stone and brick as a living for more than 20 years. She always said that once cleaning begins with liquids one can't hurry or let it dry. Doing so sets the staining deeper and more permanent. I'm sure she never would have thrown so many cleaners onto the stone at a single time. But you are making good progress. Be proud of your work.

[@DebraCarey-h5t]

Can't wait to see the clean stones. Good job Sean. I think now that you've figured out how to dissolve the tarry stuff that wire brush will make them look awesome.

[@Supercheeseburger666]

How about pressure washing with Bleach? I'm sure it will look good in the end with tons of elbow grease, though. Thanks for sharing, Sean. 👍

[@myshortpants]

Cleaned my beams with the Far Tool, came up lovely. Bit of a killer on the old arm muscles though 😂 My fireplace looked like yours, gave up in the end and got it sand blasted, came up a treat. Good luck.

[@girlnorthof60]

Sorry to see the weather putting a damper on your plans, but I'm enjoying watching the stone cleaning process. I like your new machine... useful in the future as well. 👍

[@ruthmalin3038]

Hi Sean, your so diligent and the vinegar looks like it works well with dish soap to soften it. Oh no. Stupid rain.

[@debbiekalynuk4217]

Trisodium phosphate (TSP) is regarded as the best product for removing soot. Use gloves.

[@jesschee5891]

Might not be able to get it in France, they are very strict on certain chemicals. TSP is not available here in Canada anymore. Of course it was fantastic and did the job 😉

[@dalehargreaves966]

Vinegar, dishwashing liquid and baking soda, Sean 🌿

[@krisgalusha9820]

I was about to make a suggestion of a cupped wire brush instead of the wheel wire brush but you went well beyond that. Good job

[@karenhensel35]

I like the soot look😊

[@Seans_World]

Me too

[@allankarenbayne9835]

Yeah sandblast is the way to go even for the beams Dan the Gardner did it in his cottage worked well got a professional guy with all the gear his channel escape to rual france

[@gingerschatshow]

Way to go Sean, the fire place is improving. also your patio design as well. have a great weekend.

[@cathyfield4765]

IN my experience with burned on mess, bicarbonate soda mixed with water to make a paste, then apply it and go away. Let it work, dampen it if it dries out. You may need to scrub, but it will be much easier to remove.

[@me-l-9910]

Amazing results already! I couldn’t imagine that ancient black crust could budge as much as it has. The final results will be even better. The outside patio is really coming along. Your time and effort is paying off, now if the weather can help!?

[@maggiecraigie8114]

Great job Sean. Love ya work. Cheers

[@sueg2658]

The solution that you will use to clean the creosote from the fireplace consists of an equal amount of salt and dish liquid, such as Dawn. Stir this together, then add a half cup of ammonia. Be sure that you use enough salt and dish liquid to make your cleaning solution more like a paste than a liquid.

[@marysell6184]

Well done, Sean! The stones on the fireplace are looking better and better. I think you made a wise choice to not rush the cleaning of the stones and allow the products you are using to do their job.

[@vikkijeffcott4337]

Salt and vinegar is a great cleaner also for brass make a bath of vinegar and salt and soak old brass and use a toothbrush to get into any details

[@meemawpdx2986]

They’ll look great once you’ve had chance to point them up. Well done!

[@Torsten389]

Always remember to rinse both acid and salts off well with lots of water. They are known as hydroscopic, which means the residue will attract moisture. This will cause a damp look when humidity is high. I would suggest using something absorbent to pull the soiled water out of the stone such as paper towels or microfibre towels. Then repeat until the stains are removed to satisfaction. Patients is your greatest tool when it comes to anything stone.

[@dudleydogism]

Wow that is looking fabulous. Worth finding that new tool

[@ctchickenmom]

I work on cleaning historical cemeteries here in the US and we use a product called D2 to clean headstones. Its a biological cleaner that really cleans up the stones without doing damage. Not sure how it would work indoors but its worth a try. You could also try something called wet and forget that is designed for cleaning patios, stonework, and shingles. It would be a shame to cover up those stones. I hope you can get them clean.

[@puckgroeneweg115]

Love the sounds of rain, but this year, we got so many,…too much. Sean the fireplace are looking so much better.

[@louiscecere5636]

Sean, I can understand why you have the need to remove the top layer of the black greasy soot, but leaving some of the patina adds to the character. Please don't parge over all of the stones. I absolutely love the antiquity of these cottages. Your antique fireplace equipment is going to look fantastic being on display .

[@harleyanne3720]

Sandblast. My uncle did this. Looked great

[@suehall3298]

Rain☔and more rain what a pain ☕🍰see you in the next one P s great bit of kit your new machine 🤗👍 Love Sue❤❤❤🇬🇧❤❤❤

[@patbecky89]

Got my Calendar! Love it!

[@mariagillinson8527]

Sean I think because the soot is grease it’s just going to reabsorb into the stone! It’s one of the hardest things to get off stone especially it’s been there so long. I think the dwells used it extensively so really baked in.

[@lonnieslick9313]

If it’s grease does it got to melt or use oven cleaner like a stove the sand blasting would be chemical free

[@annettesharrock1236]

Looking good Sean another go of the spray and leave for a while and they will come up really good. Am fed up also of this rain. Loved watching Sean😘

[@Seans_World]

Me too

[@petegrangaard3921]

That looks a lot better, love those old fireplaces and cottages. I was lucky enough to live in a small cabin with a huge fireplace that had a hidden space behind a small stone for valuables and a swing arm for cooking.

[@GordonDavidsonGdicm]

Try a light flick with a blowlamp and a rub with the wire brush. Probably won't work, but for all the second to try? Soot will burn again. Ask anybody who has had a chimney fire.( I've not)

[@normamurray4450]

What a gorgeous fireplace Sean! If only those beautiful stones could talk!

[@DeeplyStill]

Sand blast!

[@bonitareardon5987]

I think my dad used Boric Acid for cleaning stone when he was building our fireplace.

[@lisajahn6839]

Wonderful episode! Thank you very much for making and sharing this lovely video!😊 It is fine as is even if it is not as long as you wished! You can always mix it up and show us other things, little tours or greenhouse.❤😊 Be well, stay safe.

[@tamithirion7766]

I found that dish washing machine liquid is a beast for cutting grease. I am not talking about the liquid used in your sink, you might give it a try if you have it in you. Cheers Sean and Crack On 👍

[@steventaylor4159]

When Sean pulled out all those products I thought hope he doesn't accidentally make a poison gas trying to clean this thing haha

[@lindamitman4538]

It does look like it’s starting to work. Hopefully between the vinegar & soap solution and the wire brush you’ll see some good progress on those stones

[@yellowcakeuf68]

Hi Sean, I recently clean black sticky tar emissions off the top of my mercedes vito engine after the injector seal burst. I tried everything until someone suggested oven pride cleaner and it wiped right off. For better results heat up the area you are cleaning. Regards nigel

[@monicateeling810]

Cannot wait to see how the fireplace stone turns out😁😁😁 Great work as always .

[@wendypritch]

Vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and salt works a treat for numerous things including sinks, it fizzes up. Make sure to wear a mask and rubber gloves. Not sure if it would work on the fireplace but worth a try.

[@reremaiwhaipooti7166]

❤❤ looking good

[@inkmetal1]

I am not a chemist but the residue is more like tar. If you find a tar cleaner it might work. There may be suggestions online. Happy scrubbing.

[@alisonheppell9748]

Washing soda is good too

[@deannfausett3923]

You are definitely making progress! A lot of work left though.

[@nadinecartwright1979]

If it's a sticky residue try this mix: orange oil cleaner (e.g. Citrasolve), isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, and rough salt (or grit.) Scrub a few minutes.

[@KatherineAlfaro-zf2gk]

I think your automated wire brush really helped clean the ancient stones. In your fireplace, there are some fantastic stones that are beginning to see the "light of day ." Cleaning the stones is just part of the restoration. Any improvement is very positive. We all are learning together. You are getting closer to the edge of the building with the pavers. Looks so clean, tidy and inviting! Hello from Yakima, Washington, U.S.A.

[@stephaniegaromon3244]

Hi Sean, I think it is making a difference, but no matter what don’t cover up the stone. Leave it authentic and even with soot on the stones they are beautiful. Someone mentioned foam oven cleaner with cling wrap covering it over night. That might work. France is definitely getting its share of rain. Enjoy your weekend. xx

[@lauriemattingly2699]

If you use each product separately, in different sections, you will be able to determine which thing is actually having the best effect.

[@ruthnoronha8206]

Sean I hope all that product works. It’s funny I was saying use vinegar snd then you pulled out the vinegar then I said use Baking powder, then there came out BP, and so on. I think you used all the things I would use so I hope this stuff comes off because those stones look nice and it will be so in keeping with the time of this cottage. Good luck!!!

[@kennichols1015]

I would try TSP

[@joanwilliams346]

Sean, if you're not happy with the results, why not mortar clean stones onto the old ones. it would make a new surface. If I understand correctly you're going to place an insert burner in the space so it would be an authentic look.

[@stewartmcardle8149]

I understand that there's years and years of soot ingrained in the blackened stones but, if you get them cleaned up, you already have a wood stove so this blackening won't be repeated.

[@WayneFritts]

Thanks for another good video.. I think you might need a short break. Time for an antique trip 😁

[@Seans_World]

🤣

[@alisonheppell9748]

The wire wheel might help on some beams

[@timothyeldridge6822]

Great work! Crack on!

[@GingerLeigh]

Aloha from Maui! You need to try oven cleaner. You need something to degrease the soot

[@cgp1442]

Can you use a power washer on them ? As it seems that can get just about anything clean. Or even a fine grain sand blasting.

[@anabelavandenheuvel480]

On the very dirt stones with soute, clean them with with sheep binigar , on 3pars viniger and 2 water. Spray the stones abandantly and all the dirt comes out. You can repeat as many times you want to ,

[@goldenineke]

Generations of tannin from burning wood - huge job to remove Sean. Good job!

[@susannerousseau7311]

Hello from Saskatchewan, Canada

[@mywildholm]

Hey there from British Columbia (our own island on a lake here)

[@andy2950]

Thanks

[@nicolinavincelli9369]

I feel that stones will come out looking great...... Too bad about the rain, its been raining here too.

[@jesschee5891]

Fingers crossed that solution works and the stones clean up nicely, I agree that keeping the rustic history is part of the charm. Stay dry, see you in the next video. Enjoy your weekend

[@deborahmillard1015]

Maybe you could power wash it and then pick up the water with a shop vac

[@dalehargreaves966]

Soot is water repellant. It needs to be a paste. 🌿

[@kimrigby9400]

Well done Sean, xx

[@BerylMatcham]

Yes, sand blast if you think the stones can take it ❤. They look like they are cleaning up . It did take a few hundred years to get to that dirty, so cleaning isn't going to be easy ❤ That's for sharing 😊. Have a good weekend you guys 🎉

[@MarianneInmarsilia]

Looks like lots of rain forecast for the Southwest 🌧 !

[@MasonLady]

I wonder if spray oven cleaner would disolve the black?

[@annekabrimhall1059]

Get a sandblaster that also uses baking soda.

[@dorinclarisa2732]

Can you seal the stones once you have most of it off. Or is it to close for the burner. A little bit of soot will look original. Your doing a great job. Your hard work is paying off.. ❤X😊

[@happyflower251]

I used a fairly magical mixture to clean very stained grout on my kitchen floor:: peroxide and baking soda with a bit of dish detergent. Put the paste on the surface, let it sit, then scrub with a stiff brush. Some spots required 2 or 3 applications and they now look great.

[@janetwhitney233]

Wow, now that’s a wire brush.

[@dawnlumpkin1792]

Here in the USA we have a thing call 3o sec bleach that I use on the outside on my concrete every year. It works wonders and it doesn't take that long to. See results. Worth a try!

[@carladejonge4951]

❤❤

[@marywise2703]

Try a concrete grinder

[@Pete-nl8ok]

It's going to be fabulous when it's done! In fact the parts that you've done already does look that way!

[@robertlewis4998]

I agree with the sand blasting would be quicker and less mess.

[@margaretforshaw1617]

I love watching you clean!

[@ruthcarter8895]

Good job, Sean! I liked watching your process!😊

[@briansullivan7398]

I would suggest sand blasting the surface to clean. Soda blast might work but garnet will be fairly effective. Best, Brian

[@lindagage7315]

Can't wait to see if that worked, fingers crossed!