Gas, wood and pellet stoves as well as wood-burning fireplaces should be cleaned and checked for safe and effective functioning before you start to use them. Our journalism needs your support.

Wood-burning fireplaces need cleaning: Have the chimney cleaned before starting to use your wood-burning fireplace, stove or insert. The leading cause of fires from wood-burning appliances is the ...

Never burn Christmas trees or treated wood in your fireplace, and never use an accelerant other than newspaper and dry kindling (lighter fluid is meant for your outdoor grill only).

But if you’re willing to take on cleaning your wood-burning fireplace yourself, or at the very least, the bottom of your wood-burning fireplace, here is a quick method.

Think of your wood stove like an engine. If you neglect to maintain your engine and its running old, dirty oil and stale gas you won’t get peak performance or maximum horsepower.

To avoid releasing harmful chemicals, never burn plywood, particleboard, painted or varnished wood, treated wood (like that used for decks), trash, plastic, wrapping paper or flammable liquids.