Last Christmas my wife and I, and other vital family members, were almost killed at Grandma’s house. I know, I know, it is always Grandma who is supposed to get run over by a reindeer. Well, not this year. It seems that in all the holiday festivities, no one checked to make sure the chimney damper was was opened. As a result, carbon monoxide filled the room and some really nice black soot stained the white brick around the fireplace. Man, if we only had the Soot Eraser afterward. Never mind the carbon monoxide poisoning. . . Grandma said cleaning the fireplace was a nightmare! The Soot Eraser is billed as ideal for occasional smudges and for cleaning soot and smoke-covered bricks and walls. It is like the eraser you used in school, only it is 3″ x 6″. The Soot Eraser is made of vulcanized natural rubber so it is safe, non-toxic, and eco-friendly. The manufacturer, who I could not find online, also makes a liquid version which sounds like less fun to me. Consider this a public safety announcement to make sure your fireplace damper is open when you have a fire this winter! Available for about $10 at Mitchel’s Fireplace and Patio Store.
