Several years ago I went to the "Fireplace Centre" at Alcantarilha where I got our Fogo Montanha fire and bought the brush and flexible rods (20 meters) to clean the chimney myself - cost about €50.

It is a simple job, takes 15 minutes, and much cleaner than some of the "cowboy" chimney sweeps I have used previously and who left a terrible mess.

Also, it is well worth using the chemical "pastilhas" on your fire which will dislodge soot and tar from your chimney.  

And me please Strongbow, is the chimney sweeper still around?  

I finally got around to calling the Centro de Lareiras in Alcantarilha. They no longer sell the equipment that Useless bought, but they quoted the most reasonable cleaning price among the places I called.

I called last week to schedule cleaning the 3 chimneys (fireplace, kitchen, and churrasqueira). The men arrived promptly, and had all three chimneys cleaned in 58 minutes! They did not make a big mess, and cleaned up after themselves. Very professional. We are their loyal customers now. Next time we need to clean chimneys, this is who we will call!  

- Aninha

I finally got around to calling the Centro de Lareiras in Alcantarilha. They no longer sell the equipment that Useless bought, but they quoted the most reasonable cleaning price among the places I called.

I called last week to schedule cleaning the 3 chimneys (fireplace, kitchen, and churrasqueira). The men arrived promptly, and had all three chimneys cleaned in 58 minutes! They did not make a big mess, and cleaned up after themselves. Very professional. We are their loyal customers now. Next time we need to clean chimneys, this is who we will call!

So pleased that you were satisfied with the service of Centro de Lareiras in Alcantarilha. On a forum such as this it is very satisfying to be able to recommend good service (and vilify the many companies which are less than good!!).

Nuno and Carlos who run Centro de Lareiras in Alcantarilha are very professional and know what the expat market requires. But, sorry to hear that they no longer sell the brushes and rods for a DIY job.

When I first moved here I paid a rogue the equivalent of 15€ to clean my chimney - it took me two days to clear up after him plus a bit of re-painting of the chimney breast.

Colin  

This forum has been a great help over the years. When we are looking for something in particular my husband will ask, "Have you checked the expat forum?" It's the first step, even before Google!

I was afraid of what kind of mess the chimney cleaning could make, so I had EVERYTHING covered with sheets in the living room, and the hob covered in the kitchen. But the cleaning crew arrived with their own drop cloth and a vacuum cleaner. The mess was quite minimal and they were thorough in cleaning up what little there was.

We asked them for a receipt and they said they would post it to us. (I thought, hmm, it could be weeks before we get it!) But it arrived just three days after they did the cleaning. I am VERY impressed with this company and will call them again for the next routine cleaning.

Thank you very much for sharing valuable information on good companies!

Best wishes,

Aninha