Don’t Let Your Fire Pit Get Rusty: A Guide to Getting It Clean

We have several wood-burning fire pits at our home. One we built in our backyard using heat-resistant bricks and rocks. Another is one of those shiny, smokeless numbers that have become so popular in recent years. Then we have our camping fire pit, which is simply an old canning pot with holes drilled around the base for air flow. Needless to say, that’s a lot of fire pits to keep clean.

Luckily, it’s not too hard if you stay on top of it. Here’s how to clean fire pits and extend their life, plus what to do if your fire pit starts to rust.

What Happens If You Don’t Clean Your Fire Pit?

If you don’t clean a fire pit regularly, it will build up with ash, soot and creosote, which creates a mess and leads to rust.

“Also, if it gets wet, that will create a caustic solution that is quite corrosive to steel and eats away at it quickly,” says fire pit manufacturer Eric Tamminga. “We recommend cleaning out fire pits every month or so, but it is even more important to keep them covered to keep water out, which will prevent this corrosion to begin with.”

How To Clean a Fire Pit

Wood-Burning Fire Pits

• Remove any unburned wood chunks.
• Use a metal shovel to scoop ash and other debris into a box or bag. If you’ve only burned natural wood (which is all you should ever burn in a fire pit), you can use the ash as fertilizer.
• Brush or shop-vac out any remaining fine dust.
• Wash the interior. “For metal pits, you can scrub well with a stiff-bristle brush using warm soapy water,” says cleaning expert Scott Schrader. “For stone, use some mild detergent as you want to avoid acidic cleaners.”
• Rinse and dry as thoroughly as possible to avoid rust.

Safety precautions:

• Before cleaning, allow the fire pit to cool down completely; 24 hours is a good rule.
• Wear gloves and a dust mask when handling ash, as it can be harmful.
• To prevent fires, dispose of ash in a metal container (or repurpose it for something else). Embers can smolder and reignite hours or days later.

Gas-Burning Fire Pits

To clean a gas-burning fire pit, your goal is to remove soot from essential components and surfaces, says outdoor home expert Ben Aston. Be sure to consult your owner’s manual for safety precautions and warranty instructions.

• Turn off and/or disconnect the gas line from your fire pit.
• Disassemble it. “The key is to expose the gas line, valve and lighter assemblies,” says Aston.
• With a clean cloth and a clean solvent, like rubbing alcohol or a dedicated fireplace cleaner, wipe the soot from these components.
• Reassemble the fire pit and check for any leaks before lighting.

Tips for Making Fire Pit Cleanup Easier

To help make the future task of cleaning your fire pit hassle-free, keep your fire pit covered, only burn seasoned wood and empty the ash regularly.

“The best way to minimize cleanup is to reduce the amount of ash you are creating,” says Tamminga. “Burn hardwoods instead of softwood, and make sure to have good airflow for a clean-burning fire. A grate can help with this.”

FAQ

Why is my fire pit rusty?

If your fire pit is made from steel, it will eventually rust. This usually happens when the rust-preventing paint wears out from the heat or if it has cracked or been scratched by firewood. The problem will escalate if wet ash is left in it.

“To avoid rust entirely, purchase a fire pit made from stainless steel,” says Tamminga. “Or to lean into the rusty look, purchase a fire pit made from a weathering steel such as Corten, which will appear rusty but does not impact the integrity of the metal.”

How do you clean rust off of a fire pit?

• Scrub the fire pit with steel wool, a wire brush or a wire wheel on a drill. Make sure to wear protective gear, including eye protection, work gloves and a respirator, as this can be a dusty task.
• Rinse the fire pit and let it dry completely.
• Clean it with mineral spirits, then let it dry again.
• Re-coat the fire pit with high-temperature paint, or at least protective oil to slow new rust formation.

“The best way to clean rust off a fire pit is actually by sandblasting it, but that’s not available to most DIY-ers,” says Tamminga.

About the Experts

• Eric Tamminga is founder of Iron Embers, a premium fire pit manufacturing business based in Ontario, Canada.
• Scott Schrader is a cleaning expert at CottageCare, a leading home cleaning company with over 41 locations nationwide. He’s worked there for two decades.
• Ben Aston is CEO of Rocky Mountain Turf, where he specializes in making outdoor spaces more livable and low-maintenance.

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