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5 Reasons NOT to buy a Chimney Cleaning Log

A chimney cleaning log is a specially designed log which can be burned in the fireplace to release chemicals which help remove tar and soot from the inner walls of your chimney.

The chimney cleaning log was designed as a cheaper alternative to hiring a chimney sweep, and whilst using a chimney cleaning log does reduce the risk of a dangerous fire, it is certainly not the best way to clean your chimney.

Here’s why:

1. Short-term solution. Despite doing exactly what it says on the tin, using a chimney cleaning log will only be effective for a short period of time and you’ll find yourself having to clean your chimney more often than perhaps you’re used to.

2. Not so cost effective. Even though buying a chimney cleaning log is slightly cheaper than hiring a chimney sweep, the very fact that you are going to have to clean your chimney a lot more often means you will actually fork out a lot more in the long run than you would if you had your chimney professionally cleaned by a chimney sweep.

3. Attention to detail. Unlike a chimney sweep who can directly asses the state of your chimney and ensure every nook and cranny is attended to, a chimney cleaning log can often bypass awkward to reach parts of your chimney meaning the cleaning is less thorough.

4. Safer… not safest. Because the chimney cleaning log will not clean your chimney as thoroughly as a professional chimney sweep, it still leaves a slight risk of a fire. Using a chimney cleaning log will certainly make your chimney safer and is OK as a short-term fix, but it still leaves your chimney with a higher risk of doing damage than a professional chimney sweep will.

5. All the trimmings. A chimney cleaning log may be OK when it comes to getting rid of some of the soot and tar from the inner walls of your chimney, but what it won’t do is remove blockages, install chimney pots, fit mesh to prevent birds nesting, smoke test your chimney professionally or give you a personalised run down of the state of your chimney. Here’s the best advice. If your chimney is in dire need of a clean and you need it done yesterday, with no chimney cleaners available for the next couple of weeks… then a chimney cleaning log will tackle your problem for the short term. But if you want long term assurance, a detailed and professional clean and the safest option that lasts the longest time, it is highly recommended that you hire the professional services of a chimney sweep.