Wood burning stove - tips for cleaning the glass?

swebb

Just had ours installed. Trying to clean the glass to get rid of the black stains... but with little joy. Anyone got any tips?

crphillips

Buy some proper glass cleaner.....you can get some from Stovax or ACR and it's like a clear gel.....melts tar and doesn't damage the glass.

You could use some ceramic hob cleaner but don't use anything with abrasives in it. If it's really caked on you could use a brand new stanley knife blade but be careful........if it digs in you'll damage the ceramic glass as it's very soft.

If you don't have any cleaners available right now you can take a piece of news paper and scrunch it up, run it under the tap, dip it in the wood ash in the ashpan and rub on the glass......you'll be amazed how easily it brings the muck off!

rhiwfield

Just use the wood ash and a damp cloth.

patjenkins

We use this Stove Glass Cleaner - it is brilliant and makes the glass crystal clear. DONT spray it on when the glas it hot as you will breath in the toxic fumes which are horrendous!

PennyForThem_2

I can vouch for the newspaper/wood ash approach. I have used the glass cleaner as well but the former is free and gives as good a finish.

hermanmunster_3

newspaper / wood ash / vinegar ... brill

swebb

I can't be doing something right. I'm trying this with the ash, but it doesn't seem to shift much. Can someone spell it out to me? Sorry if this sounds a daft!

I've got some newspaper, wet it, dipped it it in the ash and then rubbed the glass. I've pressed quite hard. Circles, up, down, left and right but not a lot of joy!

PennyForThem_2

It might be that you have been burning less than dry (well seasoned) wood. i had this problem last year when I was new and was burning B&Q 'seasoned' logs.

I bought 2 cu.m. of kiln dried seasoned logs off a local supplier (not cheap butcheaper than the equivalent in nets of B&Qs offering) and the difference is astounding.

Most of the time glass gets a little foggy as the fire dies and goes out and maybe a little soot black around the edges of the glass. This comes off a treat with the newspaper treatment or cloth and washing up liquid if really stubborn.

Before I had black glass most of the time (unseasoned wood which was 'wet' i reckon).

shegar

swebb wrote: »

I can't be doing something right. I'm trying this with the ash, but it doesn't seem to shift much. Can someone spell it out to me? Sorry if this sounds a daft!

I've got some newspaper, wet it, dipped it it in the ash and then rubbed the glass. I've pressed quite hard. Circles, up, down, left and right but not a lot of joy!

Sounds as though its really burnt on, try some cif cleaner on a damp kitchen scouring sponge , thats what I use to use, I had a air wash system on my burner but it still got black glass with or without dryed logs and smokeless coal. A nightmare to keep clean.:eek::eek:

crphillips

Sounds like yours is a more gooey tar build up rather than carbon.

This could be down to a number of things:

1) Wet wood
2) Closing the vents too early before the wood has properly caught fire
3) Minimal updraught
4) No airwash system
5) Incorrect use of primary and secondary air vents

The proper glass cleaner in the bottles rather than the cans will shift it.