Does Oxygen Bleach Remove Creosote Stains?

Anyone that has ever had a fireplace can attest to how difficult it can be to remove creosote stains. It really doesn't matter if the stain is on your roof, on the fireplace itself, or only on the chimney, creosote is something that needs to be removed and cleaned away for the safety of your home. Luckily removing creosote stains is a fairly simple task, particularly if you use some oxygen bleach to help out the process. Utilize the following method, and you will be able to get rid of those pesky stains.

Materials needed:

• Clean rags
• Two buckets
• Grease fighting dish soap (like Dawn dish soap)
• Oxygenated bleach
• Stiff bristled scrub brush

Procedure:

1. Prepare. Begin getting the cleaning materials ready by pouring one cup of oxygenated bleach and 1/2 cup of the detergent into a cleaning bucket. Over the top of this mixture pour one gallon of hot water. This should cause the water and cleaner to interact and create the bubbles necessary to show that the cleaner is working. In the second bucket pour another gallon of hot water that you can use as rinse water. Place a large towel on the floor around the fireplace or chimney to help protect it from any soot that may fall.
2. Begin scrubbing. Dip your scrub bush into the soapy water, and then begin scrubbing away. Start at the top of the stain and work your way downwards so that you avoid doing double cleaning duty. Periodically you will need to "rinse" off the scrub brush in the soapy water to continue your cleanings so do so as necessary.
3. Rinse and inspect. Using an old clean rag, and some of the clean hot rinse water, begin rinsing away what you have just scrubbed. Periodically rinse out the rinse rag until you have removed all of the soap and creosote that you just scrubbed off. Allow the rinsed area to completely dry and then inspect to ensure that you haven't missed anything.
4. Repeat as necessary. In the event that you missed something, you may need to repeat steps one through three a few times until you have removed all of the creosote. Between each bout of cleaning be sure that you replace the water and cleaning solution. It may take a couple of times, but the process will get the creosote removed.