I have a woodburning fireplace with bricks surrounding it. We are replacing the door with a new steel door that is smaller than the one currently installed. Consequently, we will be able to see the outline of the old door because of some soot.

Is there any way to clean this naturally?

Our installer recommended Rutland Fireplace and Brick Cleaner. After reading the directions, I'm intimidated since I do have some sensitivity and respiratory concerns with this product. It also requires rinsing? How the heck am I supposed to do this in the middle of my family room with wall to wall carpeting?

Is there anything else that will work without countless rounds of rinsing? Something like vinegar or Mr. Clean eraser?

I also have a beige carpet so I'm nervous about anything that will require too much liquid.

Any and all ideas will be greatly appreciated!

I had a similar concern when living in New Hampshire. It didn't seem to be too bad when I first looked at the house, but before moving in I took several pictures of the interior and the flash showed quite a mess. There was a smoke trail up the mantle stones and I wanted it cleaned.

I rented a sand-blaster with a large portable "tent" that was mounted around the entire fireplace and hearth, and then attached to a large shop-vac type vacuum that sat outside. At first it looked overwhelming but once I got it set up and going, it cleaned to soot quickly. I ended up cleaning all the flagstones to keep it even. And clean-up after was easier than I expected.

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http://www.pioneerthinking.com/misc.html
Formulas For Cleaning Fireplace Surfaces: (Wear rubber gloves to protect hands.)

1. Mix one ounce of soap and one ounce of table salt with enough water to make a cream. Rub mixture into brick surface with cloth; allow to dry at least ten minutes and remove with stiff brush; or

2. Make a thick mixture of soap or detergent, pumice, a little ammonia and hot water. Paint the mixture on the surface and let dry. Rub off with a wet scrub brush. You are using alkali and a mild abrasive to remove the greasy soil; or

3. Shave a bar of naptha soap into a container and add 3 quarts of water. Bring mixture to a full boil until the soap melts. Cool. Add 1 cup ammonia and one pound of pumice. Mix thoroughly. Brush in onto all sooty surfaces and let stand one hour or more. Rub off with a stiff-bristle brush.

Rinse "gook" away with warm water, then finish off with a medium to strong detergent and rinse again with warm water; or

4. Dissolve 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) Trisodium Phosphate or spic&span (TSP) in 1 gallon of hot water. With stiff scrub brush, scrub brick surface. Rinse with plenty of warm water. Repeat if soot or greasy stain is not removed. More TSP may be added if necessary, up to 1 cup per gallon. This is a very strong solution; avoid getting on skin, carpet, or fabrics.

Note: Some weathered old brick (50 years or older) may be soft and damaged by vigorous cleaning. Test a corner, and if this is so, just dust or sweep it.
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http://seasonal-home-maintenance.sui...cfm/fireplaces
You'll need the following items:
A drop cloth, towels or plastic to protect the floor (which ever you have around the house)
Rubber gloves to protect your hands
Scrub Brush
Foaming spray bathroom cleaner
2 Sponges
Bucket
Water

This is what you do:
To protect your floor, place the drop cloth, towel or plastic underneath your work area.
Fill the bucket with warm water. The water temperature has nothing to do with cleaning the wall, and everything to do about keeping your hands comfortable.
Figure out where you'd like to begin. It is recommended to work from the top down. No sense in scrubbing the bottom part of the wall clean only to have sooty water drip down when you start working above your cleaned area.
Wet the sponge and liberally apply water to the area of brick.
Spray the bathroom cleaner over the wet area. Let it foam for about 30 seconds to a minute.
Now take the scrub brush and scrub the soot from the brick. It won't take too much pressure as the foaming cleaner works well on the soot. You'll notice the foam will take on the color of the soot. Not a very attractive picture.
Dip the sponge into the clean water and use it to wash the foam away. Once you wash the foam away you'll see a noticeable difference in the brick. For very sooty brick walls (those of you who make it a habit of forgetting to open the flue), repeat the process.

A time saving tip is to use two sponges and two buckets of water. It's easier to use one for rinse water and the other to collect the dirty soot runoff.

Removing fireplace soot is an inexpensive project. Don't buy the most expensive foam cleaner on the market. Buy the generic store brand; it works just as well.
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Hopefully one of these ideas will help you with the cleaning!:)

Thanks everyone! You gave me lots of ideas, including some more natural ones which I appreciate very much.

A pleasure to help you.
How about a before and after pic when you are done?;)

We clean our fireplace glass and brick with Quick 'n Brite, it is non-toxic and biodegradable so it is SAFE! That is such a relief instead of using highly toxic chemicals around fire! You apply the Quick 'n Brite paste {no messy liquids!} onto the fireplace bricks using a wet scrub brush then let it sit for about 15 minutes {no scrubbing and elbow grease} while the Quick 'n Brite loosens up the soot, creosote and pitch then wipe it clean with a damp terry cloth towel. It is so much nicer than having to worry about a terribly harsh cleaner, especially with my small children! You can buy the product online at http://www.quicknbrite.com or over the phone at 425-778-8285 if you want smaller quantities. It is a miracle product that I am constantly recommending to my friends and family!