How To Dissolve Creosote
Things Needed
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Spray bottle
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Anti-creosote liquids
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Wire brush
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Treated logs
Tip
Creosote is moderately soluble in water. Spraying water onto the creosote will help to remove the liquid. However, creosote is a type of oil that is never removed fully by water. Bleach and industrial cleaners will help to pull the creosote out of clothes and off of skin or other surfaces.
Creosote is a variation of soot. Water, sap, and other elements of burning wood and coal fail to burn fully but rise up into chimneys and coating the walls. Mixing with the various gases in the air and chimney causes the rising ash to form the creosote, which is highly flammable. Creosote is a yellowed, greasy liquid that is not easy cleaned by brushing. Creosote can be dissolved in two ways; directly spraying the creosote with specific chemicals or burning specially-treated logs.
Step 1
Mix a bottle of anti-creosote liquids into a spray bottle.
Step 2
Spray the liquid directly onto the creosote and scrub it clean with a wire brush.
Step 3
Spray the liquid onto logs and burn the logs in the fireplace. The liquid will vaporize and attach to the creosote, allowing the creosote to change into ash.
Step 4
Burn a specially-treated log in the fireplace. Treated logs are designed to release a chemical vapor into the chimney that attaches to the creosote. The creosote then turns to ash.
Step 5
Hire a chimney sweep to clean the chimney after the cold season has passed.