Coming soon to a chimney near you: Santa’s annual visit for bringing presents and spreading Christmas cheer! Of course, he’s looking forward to milk and cookies, too! But there’s nothing that spoils Santa’s happy mood quite as much as having to cough and sputter because of soot and dust left in a dirty chimney. You can help keep Santa healthy and happy, not to mention clean, by giving Chimney Sweep Plus a call today to schedule a cleaning and inspection now, before the holiday season hits in full swing. Remember, he’s got a lot of stops to make, and that’s a much more pleasant trip when he’s had a clean chimney to slide down!

Keep it Clean!

There’s nothing that makes Mrs. Claus quite as unhappy as cleaning that beautiful red suit because someone hasn’t had their chimney cleaned lately! The best way to avoid a dirty chimney is to have your chimney cleaned and inspected by professional chimney sweeps. One thing they’ll be looking for is an excessive buildup of creosote. Creosote is a substance that is left behind when smoke vapor hits the cooler surface at the top of your chimney. Creosote is extremely flammable, and if it gets to a depth of even an eighth of an inch can be enough to catch a spark and cause a chimney fire.

Another health issue that can happen when you don’t have your fireplace cleaned is exposure to carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a gas that can be produced by burning wood, especially if your fireplace isn’t properly ventilated. Some of the health issues that can be caused by breathing carbon monoxide can include nausea, dizziness, or headaches. If left undetected, more serious health issues can occur. This is a serious problem that can be avoided if you have your chimney inspected on a regular basis; this should be yearly at least and more often if you use your fireplace on a frequent basis.

Keep the Firebox Clean, Too

You’ll also want to make sure that you’re cleaning out your firebox on a regular basis. This should be done after every two fires or so, depending on the type of wood burned and amount of ash produced. When you clean out the firebox, however, you will want to leave about an inch of ash layer because this will make it easier to build the next fire. Don’t leave more than that, however, especially at Christmastime. Who wants to land in a big pile of ashes? Definitely not Santa!

Call Chimney Sweep Plus

Now that Christmas is drawing near, you’ll want to get in the professionals to make sure that your fireplace is ready for all your holiday entertaining. Give Chimney Sweep Plus a call today to get an appointment set up, and you’ll not have to worry about a dirty chimney for the holidays. Make this a holiday to remember by ensuring a clean and safe fireplace and chimney system!