How to Clean a Firepit

If you’re anything like me, you love spending time outdoors around a fire. Whether you’re roasting marshmallows, cooking hot dogs, or just enjoying the warmth of the flames, there’s something special about sitting around a firepit.

And while firepits are low-maintenance (compared to, say, a swimming pool), they do require some care and cleaning to keep them in good working order.

As we head into autumn, many of you will be looking forward to gathering around your new firepit, and what better time to learn about how to clean a firepit.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned user, keeping your firepit clean is important for both functionality and safety. Let’s get started!

How Often Should I Clean My Firepit?

You should clean your firepit after every use. If you wait too long in between cleanings, the buildup can occur, which makes it more difficult (and sometimes impossible) to clean.

What Do I Need to Clean my Firepit?

To properly and efficiently clean your firepit, you’ll need the following materials:

• gloves
• a wire brush or a putty knife
• a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment or dustpan and brush
• elbow grease
• gloves to protect your hands from soot and debris

Before You Start

Remember you should wait a significant time for your firepit to cool down after using it before attempting to clean it. Check everything is thoroughly cool before you get cleaning.

Step 1: Remove all Debris

The first step is to remove any and all debris from the firepit. This includes ashes, wood chunks, stones, clothing fibers, and packaging material.

We recommend using a putty knife and/or wire brush to loosen caked-on debris. Once everything is loosened up, use the vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment to suction up all of the debris. You may need to go over the area multiple times to ensure that all of the debris has been removed.

Alternatively, you can use a dustpan and brush, but this might be tricky depending on the shape of your firepit.

Step 2: Inspect for Damage

Step 3: Clean the Interior Surfaces

Now that the firepit is cleared out and inspected for damage, it’s time to give it a good scrubbing! Begin by cleaning off any soot or dirt on the interior surfaces using a wire brush.

For tough stains, you may need to use a high-powered hose or even sandpaper. Once all of the dirt has been removed, use a damp cloth to wipe down the interior surfaces. Allow the surfaces to dry completely before using the firepit again.

Cleaning a Firepit with Lava stones

You might be wondering if you can clean your firepit if it has lava stones, and the answer is yes, you can.

Whether you have lava stones in your firepit or your chiminea, they are an excellent base for a fire and raise it up while allowing for lots of fire-feeding airflow under your fire.

To clean your fire pit with lava stones, follow these steps:

• Get some gloves on and remove the stones from the pit first by hand. Place them in a bucket and rinse with water.

• Make sure your lava stones are completely dry before returning to the pit. Lava stones can be really dangerous if exposed to fire when wet, and they may even explode. You’ll need a full 24 hours of and a sunny day to make sure they are completely dry.

• Remember, if your lava stones are looking a bit worse for wear, you can always get new ones.

• Remove any sand from the bottom using a shovel and you can either replace the sand or put it through a sieve to reuse.

• Once everything is out hose down your firepit and leave it for a day to dry.

• Give it one more going over with a dry brush (or a cloth if you have shiny surfaces to make it sparkly again) and return the lava stones to the firepit.

TIP – lava stones only need to be cleaned about once a year.

Putting it All Together

Cleaning your firepit doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming! By following these simple steps after each use, you can keep your firepit looking great year-round. Thanks for reading and happy cleaning!