Tips for cleaning fireplace tiles

[Headfirst]

Hello
I'm new here and have been browsing for the last month or so while we were waiting for our purchase to go through. I've already picked up loads of great advice about various troubling matters (e.g. dry rot) that has made me a slightly less nervous first time buyer.

We have two large victorian fireplaces, both in reasonable shape. I would like to give the tiles a good clean as they are caked in years of dirt but i'm worried that a modern cleaner might be too abrasive and take the colour off them.

Any tips about homemade or shop bought effective cleaning solutions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[LadyArowana]

I would start out with the least aggressive treatment first, so something like regular dishwashing liquid on an old plastic pan scrubber ( one where it has become a bit less coarse through normal wear ). That might not do any good but it probably wouldn't do any harm either.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Welcome to the forum! Yes, gentle cleaning and work upwards, trying tiny sections with more powerful stuff.

This is where I confess to using such things as Sugar Soap and neat bleach on my Georgian marble fire surrounds - not recommended and it made not one scrap of difference. I think burnt on deposits are burnt on deposits.

The trick is to start to view these things as interesting and characterful patina!

 

[Headfirst]

Thanks for the replies and welcome.

I was considering sugar soap before i read more into it and thought it might be too abrasive. I was also considering a lemon juice and salt mixture?

The look nicotine stained to me, hopefully i'll be able to brighten them up and get them looking a bit more loved.

 

[Penners]

I echo what has been said above. Start gently and work up the scale of cleaning intensity. One solution that hasn't been mentioned so far is WD40. It's a remarkably versatile product, and has the ability to dissolve a wide variety of muck.

But try a small test patch first, to make sure that it has no deleterious effect on the tiles (which I'm pretty confident it won't).