A cast iron fireplace is not the easiest of fireplaces to clean and to keep in tip-top condition, however it is well worth the effort as a well maintained fireplace really does add to the atmosphere of a room. Cast iron fireplaces have been around for centuries. It is fairly easy to pick up an original, restored antique fireplace online. If you do not want to spend a lot of money on buying an antique fireplace you can also buy antique reproduction fireplaces for a fraction of the cost. Cleaning tips are the same for any type of cast iron fireplace.
The first thing to do when cleaning your fireplace is to remove all crusted-on dirt and soot. You will want to clear an area for doing this, either outside somewhere or at least spread down plenty of newspaper or large plastic garbage bags and work on those. Taking a clean, dry cloth wipe the cast iron fireplace grate over. If you like, you can also use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust and dirt; it is less messy that way. Most debris should dislodge fairly easily.
You do not want to use water to clean it due to the fact that cast iron will rust fairly easily if exposed to moisture. For any debris that is crusted on, you may need to use a utensil of some kind to remove it. Try a plastic spatula; something solid enough to get under the dirt but not too hard that it will damage or scratch the surface. For stubborn sections, try using salt and lemon. Sprinkle the salt onto the area and then rub a cut lemon over it, or if it is a difficult spot to get to, pour lemon juice on top of the salt.
Once it is clean you will then want to remove any traces of rust. A new fireplace should not readily rust, however if the protective covering is damaged at all you may find spots of rust appearing. Also, over summer a fine layer of rust sometimes appears on the surface. This can usually be cleaned off fairly easily. Stubborn spots should be scrubbed with a wire brush. If that does not work you may need to use a commercial rust remover. After you have your cast iron fireplace all cleaned up you can re-blacken it by using black grate polish till it looks as good as new. Finally, you can also cover it with a light coat of mineral oil in order to help prevent further rusting.
