Pro tip: Skip the chemical soot removers and use dry rice instead

I had a real tough buildup in a customer's chimney in Omaha last month. The typical creosote logs and powders just weren't cutting it, left a greasy film that was a pain to clean up. After my third wasted bottle of that liquid stuff, I tried pouring a cup of uncooked rice into the firebox while burning a hot fire. The rice grains bounced around and scrubbed the flue walls naturally, and the ash came out way cleaner than any chemical treatment I've used. Anyone else ever try this old timer trick or am I just lucky it worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

michaeld488h ago

Ha, well I tried this once and ended up with rice all over my living room floor because I forgot to close the damper all the way. Guess my "bouncing rice grains" were having a party outside the chimney instead of inside. But honestly, even with my screw up, the soot that did stay in the flue came off way easier than with those stinky chemical sticks I usually buy. I'm just a guy who makes a mess and then accidentally stumbles into a solution that works.

gracec1612h ago

Don't see how bouncing rice can actually scrub creosote compared to chemical treatments.

max_torres4410h ago

Yeah but rice grains don't really "bounce around" in a chimney like you're thinking. The rice just burns up and the starch helps loosen the soot, it's more about the steam and heat than actually scrubbing the walls. Still works though, I've done it a few times myself with decent results.