The idea of a chimney sweep is pretty messy, isn’t it? All of that soot, dirt and years of wear and tear falling down into the fireplace beneath.

Surely that’s going to make a mess of your floor? And what about the dust? You’ll be dusting for months to come, right?

Welcome to one of the biggest misnomers about chimney sweeping. Sure, it can get messy, but if you pick the right firm to do it for you, it shouldn’t encroach into your living space or be inconvenient.

In fact, your home should be just as clean as it was before the team started the job.

Here’s what to expect from a high quality chimney sweep.

Sealed, swept, tidy

Before a professional chimney sweep takes place, precautions will be undertaken to ensure its creates zero mess for you.

Firstly, a path of clean, plastic-backed sheets will be laid from your front door to the fireplace opening. If that’s impractical or the fireplace is upstairs, boot covers will be worn instead.

The sheets also enable sweeping equipment to be placed safely on the floor without causing any damage or mess.

Sealing the opening

You might be wondering how the sweep team will prevent dust and muck from escaping via the fireplace opening. This is where a powerful vacuum is put to good use.

The best vacuums are ‘HEPA grade’, which simply means they use the highest grade filters available on the market. Inserted into the opening of your fireplace, the vacuum will ensure everything is completely sealed before sweeping (without marking any surfaces with which it comes into contact).

This means there’s no risk of any dust or soot making its way into the room, but you should also expect clean sheets to be placed over any soft furnishings which can’t be moved.

The vacuums used by chimney sweep teams are designed specifically for the fine dust particles which usually escape during a sweep. They run for the duration of the job, and while you may notice a slight odour of soot, no dust or soot will enter the room.

What happens to all the soot, then?

When soot is removed from your chimney, it needs to go somewhere, clearly. And, obviously, you won’t want that to be on your lovely carpet or wooden flooring.

Instead, it’ll be removed from your flue and sucked directly into the vacuum. The sealed drum of the vacuum is then taken outside the house and disposed of responsibly.

A few things you’ll need to do

There are just a few simple things you’ll need to do as the home-owner to ensure the sweep process is as mess-free as it should be.

So, before the sweep team arrive, do try and do the following:

  • provide a clear, unobstructed passage from the main entrance to the fireplace area (including moving any furniture which is in the way);
  • clear a 2x2m (or thereabouts) space in front of the fireplace;
  • remove any delicate or fragile items which are near the fireplace;
  •  shut away your pets while the team are going about their work; and
  •  ensure a plug socket is easily available (an extension lead is fine).

That’s it!

If the idea of a mess-free chimney sweep has inspired you to finally get yours cleaned, don’t forget to get in touch with the SweepSmart team.