Called kaminfeger in German, ramoneur in French, and spazzacamino in Italian, you can’t avoid the presence of a chimney sweep if there is an active fireplace in your home. That’s because anyone who has a fireplace in their home (or a wood-burning stove, which is quite rare these days) must have it professionally cleaned periodically — usually once a year — by a chimney sweep who is officially recognised in your canton. So having your chimneys and fireplaces cleaned once a year (or whatever frequency your canton requires) is a good thing; refusing to do so can result in a fine, the amount of which will be determined by your municipality.