A shallow bed of ashes in the hearth is a good thing. This ash insulates the fireplace and the result is a longer-lasting, warmer fire. However, when this shallow bed of ashes starts to build up to several inches, if left unattended, it can cause damage to the fireplace and is hazardous to the household.

 

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Be careful when handling ashes, and never try to clean a fireplace during a fire or right after extinguishing. Remember, hot embers buried within a bed of ashes are capable of starting an unexpected fire. Sometimes these hot embers are not always seen so be careful and wait a few hours after a fire to start cleanup. 

 

Always remove ashes with metal fireplace tools and place them into a metal ashcan or pail when finished. Second, ashes can become airborne when sudden, quick, or abrasive cleaning motions are used. Be sure to move very slowly when handling fireplace ashes. Additionally, if you are planning to clean the entire room, it is wise to attend to the fireplace first.

Start by placing your metal ash container close to the ash pit or tray. You may wish to use gloves, but soot smudges, which are inevitable while performing a job like this, are easily washed off your hands with soap and warm water. Just don’t touch anything until you do wash.

Next, shovel the ashes carefully from the pit into the container, leaving about an inch of ash in the hearth for benefits mentioned earlier. Next, slowly carry the container outside the residence and place in a designated area for later disposal. Ashes can also be safely buried or spread over soil. Consider adding the ash to your compost pile if you have one.

Ashes may be vacuumed from the fire pit, but only when absolutely cold. Light ash that falls around the stove or fireplace will cool rapidly and may be safely vacuumed or swept up.

Reference:

 

Don Aslett in The Cleaning Encyclopedia: Your A to Z Illustrated Guide to Cleaning Like the Pros.