cleaning a blackened fireplace

[Carameli]

we have alovely fireplace with gas coals. I want to clean it up to make it shine nicely again, but its so so so so so so black and there are probably layers upon layers of dust and dirt frm years of previous neglect.

Does anyone have any great ideas. I have tried so many cleaning products without succeess, even tomato sauce and vinegar as someone told me to try.

any ideas???

Yes WD40 is what the installer recommended for mine, and it brings it up beautifully.

great I will try that later.

so this may seem like a silly question but is the black bit at the back ever meant to look as shiny as the front. After vigorous scrubbing on a small part I have managed to get a slight bit to look like speckled bronze but wondering if I am ruining our fireplace???

Carameli, is it brass that you are trying to clean? If it is I can recommend dipping half a lemon in salt and rubbing like there was no tomorrow. You may get through a few lemons, but if it is brass it will bring it up like new. I know this as I used it on a really old fender which looked terrible, you should see it now!!

thanks will try the lemons as well.