Stone fireplaces are the architectural focal point in many living rooms, but they can become an eyesore when they are dirty. Even when a fireplace is rarely or even never used, the stone can hold onto dust and smoke residue from the room over time. You can clean the stone face of your fireplace yourself, without a professional, to remove soot and dust buildup and get your fireplace back to looking like new again.

1
Pour 1/2 cup of trisodium phosphate into a 5-gallon bucket and mix it with a gallon of warm water.

2
Dip a sponge into the mixture and apply the mixture to the entire stone face of the the fireplace generously.

3
Scrub the fireplace with a scrub brush and work the mixture into all of the cracks and crevices in the stone.

4
Dump the bucket into a utility sink or tub and fill it with clean water.

5
Rinse your sponge and dip it into the clean water. Wipe the face of the fireplace with the clean water and sponge to remove the trisodium phosphate mixture.