Things You'll Need

Instructions

1

Choose wood, such as hardwood, that does not produce as much soot or creosote as other woods. Do not burn pine, as it produces a lot more soot than other types of wood.
2

Keep your damper open to keep your fire burning at a higher temperature. Burn your fire hot enough to completely burn the wood. This helps to prevent soot and creosote from building up.
3

Make sure the wood you burn is very dry, as burning wood that is still green can also add to the buildup of soot and creosote.
4

Check the flue to make sure it is the proper size for your stove. Make sure that the stovepipe is long enough to reach some distance up your chimney, thus making the smoke rise instead of possibly coming back into your stove and building up soot.
5

Hire a chimney sweep to come and clean out your chimney each fall before you begin burning wood in your stove. This will get rid of any buildup of soot in the chimney. Have the chimney sweep also check your stove and its pipes to make sure they are clean and free of debris.
6

Empty the stove of ash often --- at least once a week if you use the stove constantly for heating your home. Use a fireplace shovel and a metal bucket to remove any ash that could cause soot to build up along the walls of your stove.
7

Use a wire brush to clean the inside of your stove whenever you notice that the soot is building up on its walls. Make sure the stove is completely cool before you scrub it with a wire brush.
8

Purchase and burn a manufactured product that reduces the amount of soot and creosote buildup. Burn one of these products each month if you constantly burn wood to heat your home during the winter.