That $400 creosote removal spray was a total waste of money

I bought a big jug of that creosote remover spray from a supply catalog last spring. It cost me about $400 and I figured it would save me time on some heavy buildup jobs. Used it on three different chimneys over the summer and it barely did anything better than my regular brushing. Now I'm stuck with a half full jug that I probably can't return. Has anyone actually had luck with those chemical treatments or am I better off just sticking with my steel brush and more elbow grease?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliot_miller2219d ago

Nah man, you're doing it wrong. You gotta apply that stuff a full 24 hours before you brush, not just spray and immediately start scrubbing. I've used the same brand on a lodge fireplace that had about 3/4 inch of hardened glaze and after letting it sit overnight the brush cut through it like butter. The chemical softens the hard shiny stuff that a steel brush will just bounce off of. If you're dealing with regular soot then yeah it's overkill, but for that inner layer of rock hard creosote that builds up over years of wood burning it's the only thing that works without a rotary tool.

jaken2319d ago

Yeah exactly @elliot_miller22, that's the thing. It's the same with a lot of cleaning products - people expect instant results when everything needs time to work.