How to clean a chimney yourself

Updated September 30, 2026 · Every figure checked twice against its source · How we verify

To clean a chimney yourself, let the fire go out and the chimney cool along its whole length, cover the fireplace or stove opening, then work a brush that matches the inside size and shape of the flue up and down on screw-together rods, from the roof down or from the firebox up, until it slips through easily. That is the method brush maker Rutland gives. Use a wire brush in a masonry flue and a poly brush in a metal one, and keep the yearly inspection: NFPA 211, as quoted by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), says chimneys shall be inspected at least once a year. For glazed creosote, Rutland says to contact a chimney professional.

Can you clean your own chimney?

Yes. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation says to clean the chimney at least once a year, or when creosote builds on the chimney walls to one-quarter inch or more, and that this can be done with a stiff wire chimney-cleaning brush or by hiring a professional chimney sweep. The sources still point two things to a professional. One is the yearly inspection: NFPA 211, as quoted by CSIA, says chimneys, fireplaces and vents shall be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits and correct clearances; the EPA's Burn Wise pages say fire officials recommend a professional inspection every year; and Rutland's own brush directions say an annual inspection and cleaning by a certified chimney technician is highly recommended. The other is glazed creosote: Rutland's FAQ says to contact a chimney professional immediately if you think you have stage 3 (glazed) creosote. Chimney fires confined to the chimney or flue were 3.4% of residential structure fires in fire department records for 2020 to 2024.

How to clean a chimney from the top

1. Let the fire go out. Rutland says to make sure the fire is completely extinguished and the chimney is cold along its length before you begin.
2. Cover the opening. Cover the fireplace or stove opening and all items in the work area (Rutland). For a wood stove, read its manual first: Pacific Energy's manual for its Neo 2.5 stove says to sweep with the baffle installed or plug the top of the baffle tube.
3. Put on eye protection, gloves and an approved dust mask (Rutland), and use safety precautions while working on the roof.
4. Lower the brush. Attach it securely to a rod, lower it into the top of the chimney and add rods as you go until it reaches the bottom of the flue (Rutland).
5. Scrub. Work the brush up and down, several times as needed. Rutland says that when the chimney is clean, the brush will slip easily through the flue.
6. Clear what fell. CSIA says mechanical sweeping removes layers of creosote from the flue and also removes the resulting loose soot and creosote from the chimney, fireplace or wood stove. The EPA says to put ashes in a covered metal container stored outdoors on a nonflammable surface.

How to clean a chimney from the bottom up

Push the brush and rod up through the fireplace damper or the chimney clean-out door, add rods until the brush reaches the top of the chimney, and work it up and down until it slips through easily, Rutland says. Rutland says this method is often messy since sealing the opening cannot be done during cleaning, and to cover the area around the opening to prevent staining floors, rugs or furniture. Its fiberglass rods are flexible enough to handle slight offsets but not enough to bend around sharp corners.

Chimney sweep brush: size and type

Rutland's rule for sizing is the same size and shape as the inside dimensions of the chimney flue. Its round and rectangular wire brushes are for masonry chimneys, and its FAQ says to use poly brushes for metal flues. Its chimney brushes screw onto rods with a 1/4-inch NPT thread, its fiberglass rods come as an 18-foot kit of six 36-inch rods, and its brush directions still recommend an annual inspection and cleaning by a certified chimney technician.

How to clean a wood stove chimney

A stove chimney is swept the same way; check your stove's manual for how often to inspect it. Pacific Energy's Neo 2.5 manual, for example, says the chimney connector and chimney should be inspected at least once every two months during the heating season, and creosote of 3 mm or more removed. The Alaska DEC says to check the stovepipe, which is subject to high temperatures and corrodes over time, and to repair it if it develops holes or warps. Burning practice decides how fast creosote comes back:

• Dry wood. The EPA says to season wood for at least six months and burn it at a moisture content of less than 20 percent.
• Enough air. CSIA says restricted air supply, unseasoned wood and cooler than normal chimney temperatures all speed up creosote buildup, and that closing down a stove's damper or air inlets too soon or too much limits its air.
• Smaller loads. CSIA says overloading the firebox to get a longer burn also contributes to creosote buildup.

Does chimney sweeping remove creosote?

Mechanical sweeping removes layers of creosote from the flue surface, CSIA says, but not every kind. CSIA says a chimney can develop a hard or tacky layer of flammable creosote that normal mechanical brushing cannot remove, and that a qualified chimney professional may then use chemical cleaners to change it into a form that can be brushed out. Chemical products alone are not a substitute: CSIA says they are not an adequate substitute for mechanical cleaning and inspection, and Rutland's FAQ says a flue should always be brushed even when its creosote remover is used.

When to call a chimney sweep instead

• Glazed creosote. Rutland's FAQ calls stage 3 creosote extremely hazardous and says to contact a chimney professional immediately.
• Signs of a past chimney fire. CSIA lists puffy or honeycombed creosote, warped metal on the damper or a metal chimney, cracked or collapsed flue tiles, a discolored or distorted rain cap, creosote flakes on the roof or ground, and cracks in the outside masonry. If you think a chimney fire has occurred, CSIA says to call a CSIA certified chimney sweep.
• A flue with sharp corners, which Rutland says its fiberglass chimney rods are not flexible enough to bend around.
• Smoke in the house. The EPA says to shut down the appliance, open a window, make sure the flue is open, check the venting system and call a professional wood stove installer or chimney sweep.
• The yearly inspection, which brushing does not replace. See chimney inspection levels and costs and how often a chimney should be swept.

A professional sweep of a masonry chimney is covered in chimney sweep cost, and repairs in chimney repair. To have a certified sweep quote the job, use the form below and we will send your request to a company that serves your ZIP code. More on the service: chimney sweep.

Sources

1. Rutland Products, "Tips About Using Rutland Products" (directions and cleaning methods): rutland.com
2. Rutland Products, FAQs (choosing a brush, creosote removers, stage 3 creosote, pellet stoves): rutland.com
3. Rutland Products, Chimney Sweep Round Wire Cleaning Brush: rutland.com
4. Rutland Products, Chimney Sweep Round Poly Cleaning Brush: rutland.com
5. Rutland Products, Chimney Sweep Rectangular Wire Cleaning Brush: rutland.com
6. Rutland Products, Fiberglass Chimney Brush Extension Rods tips: rutland.com
7. Chimney Safety Institute of America, Homeowner resources and FAQs (NFPA 211 quote, 1/8 inch guidance, chemical cleaners): csia.org
8. Chimney Safety Institute of America, "Preventing Chimney Fires": csia.org
9. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, wood stove device operation brochure: dec.alaska.gov
10. Pacific Energy, Neo 2.5 owner's manual: pellet-stove-parts-4less.com
11. U.S. EPA Burn Wise, Wood-burning installation and maintenance (the program's pages are kept as a historic record): epa.gov
12. U.S. EPA Burn Wise, Best wood-burning practices: epa.gov
13. FEMA, OpenFEMA, NFIRS Annual Data, fire files 2020 to 2024, downloaded September 25, 2026: fema.gov; our analysis: chimney-fires-by-year.csv

All sources read September 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).