As with indoor fireplaces, an outdoor fireplace requires cleaning and maintenance to keep it looking and working at its best. While you might not have to clean your outdoor fireplace as often, you will need to be sure to keep it reasonably tidy and maintained.

To do this, follow these simple tips:

Wood burning outdoor fireplaces require more cleaning and maintenance than the gas variety. The main issue with cleaning outdoor fireplaces is ash removal. The tendency with outdoor fireplaces is to let the ash build up until it becomes unmanageable or it starts to cause problems or hazards. To avoid this, clean the ash out of your fireplace weekly. If you use your fireplace every night, you might want to step this up to two or three times a week.

Other problems that are unique to outdoor fireplaces are animal droppings and weather elements that might work to mar the brick and mortar of your fireplace. To keep these issues from becoming overwhelming, clean any droppings or stains on the brick immediately after you spot them. Cleaning a spot here and there is a lot easier to handle than spending an entire afternoon on this nasty little project.

Also remember to clean your chimney if you have one. Even though the chimney on your outdoor fireplace does not pass through your home, a clean chimney is vital to maintain a properly burning fire and is a necessity for directing the smoke up and into the air instead of out to you and your guests.