Pan Blues
Fireplace Accessories – Sucking Away Your Fireplace Ashes Blues
I remember when I was young; one of my household chores was to clean out the fireplace. Sitting there with the fireplace brush and pan in hand, I dreaded the thought of going over and over the same spot with the brush, never able to quite get all the ashes. The ashes just seemed to magically slip through the bristles of the fireplace brush! As I would try to sweep the ashes onto the fireplace pan, they would strangely find their way under the ash pan, instead of inside it.
The clouds of tiny ash particles also bring back memories of holding my breath for as long as I could while sweeping. I would then turn aside my head and gasp for air, only to gulp down an ash-flavored puff of dust. After hours of trying to get every last particle of ash, the next task was to get rid of all of it. As I recall, I used a paper bag with the edges rolled down as the catch-all for my ashes. The problem with using that came when I would try to close the bag carefully without letting any of those pesky ashes escape. Most of the time, another ash-laden puff would mysteriously arise out of the bag, just as I was getting the top rolled back down on itself.
Another memory of this childhood chore was the black soot that would inevitably find its way onto every bit of exposed skin, not to mention the lovely mess it made out of my clothing. Taking a shower after this unpleasant chore was an absolute must, for even after cleaning off the visible black soot marks, there was still an almost invisible dusting of ash over everything. But before the shower could be taken, there was the mess of ash that was now on the floor outside the fireplace. A damp washcloth was the item of choice to take care of that.
So now that I’m “all grown up,” does that mean I no longer have to worry about that nasty ash clean-up chore? Well, yes and no. I now live in a house that has three fireplaces. Yes, you read that right…. Three fireplaces! You’d think after memories of that ash cleaning chore I’d pick a house with no fireplace, right? Wrong. I absolutely love fireplaces, especially the good old wood burning kind. The sound of the crackle and the smell of the wood just cannot be replaced. It’s so romantic and heartwarming. In fact, in my mind, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a roaring fire in the fireplace. So yes, I do still have to clean up the ashes in my fireplaces; but no, I don’t have to worry about it anymore. Thankfully, there has been a great new invention since my childhood, called the ash vacuum. Okay, maybe it was around when I was little, but apparently my parents didn’t know about it, and certainly I didn’t know about it.
These ash vacuums are a godsend. They are specially designed with a fire-resistant hose so that you don’t even have to wait until your ashes are completely cold before neatly sucking them up. Some of them use double filter systems, so you won’t have tiny ash particles floating all over your house after using the vacuum. Unlike regular shop vacuums, these specialized ash vacuums can filter down to 5 microns and can move air 7 to 10 times more than the typical vacuum. Some of them even come with decorative paint, so you can leave them on your hearth as part of your home décor. They typically measure only twenty to thirty inches in height and around 20 inches in diameter, so they can easily be stored in a small closet.
So give yourself a break from the difficult job of cleaning out your fireplace after you have taken the time to enjoy it. Get yourself a time-saving tool that will make this necessary evil not quite so tedious. You’ll be able to enjoy your fireplace more often without the dread of having to clean up afterwards.
About the Author
This article was written by Donielle Schipper on behalf of www.TheMasterFirePlace.com. Come see our great selection if you are looking for some fireplace screens, fireplace tools, fireplace accessories or log holders.
Where to eat / Restaurant reviews in brief
The Irish Rose ★★1/2 418 Main St.,Youngstown (745-9938) The “Anytime fish fry” and desserts are worthy food selections, but this relatively new restaurant still needs to work on its appetizers and service.
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