The boiler room, or the room where the boiler is located, typically ranks low on a homeowner’s maintenance list. Many times the room is located in the basement and is rarely used. However, to keep your oven working properly, you will need to regularly clean and maintain the room where the oven is located.

There are many reasons for this. First, cleaning will reduce the risk of fire. Secondly, a clean boiler room will make it easier to repair the boiler in the event that any repairs are necessary.

The good news is that keeping your furnace room neat and tidy isn’t a lot of work in the long run. Of course, if you have used the boiler room as a storage area, it may take some time to clean the area and make sure it is safe.

Here is a simple list of things to do to keep your boiler room clean in order to minimize the risk of fire and keep your family safe.

1. Make sure there is enough space around the heater for it to work safely. Some families tend to pack up the room full of unused items or use the room for storage. This can create a fire hazard and may interfere with the operation of the oven.
2. Do not hang clotheslines or clothes in the oven to dry. Although clothes can dry out quickly, this is definitely a fire hazard. If you place clothes on a drying rack in the oven room, make sure the rack is a safe distance from the oven.
3. Do not place your cat’s litter box near the oven. Ammonia from cat urine can corrode parts of the oven. Also, odors from the litter box can get trapped in the ventilation system and circulate through the house.
4. Do not store chemicals, cleaning products or laundry soaps near the heater. If you must store items in the room with the oven, make sure the items are in an airtight container.
5. Never store flammable products such as gasoline, pool chemicals, kerosene, or paint thinner near the heater. These items can easily cause a dangerous fire.
6. Keep the area clean. Don’t leave your old dusty furnace filters or broken furnace parts in the furnace room. This not only clutters up the area, but can also create a fire hazard.
7. Be sure to dust and vacuum your oven and oven room regularly. This means dusting the area and vacuuming around the heater and floor to keep dust buildup to a minimum.

Once you’ve given the area a good cleaning, you’ll only need to spend a few minutes a week making sure the area is clean. Even if it takes a lot of work to clean up the area at first, the peace of mind you’ll gain is well worth it.