If the glass door of a fireplace or wood-burning stove is heavily soiled and darkened by a thick layer of soot, it will take a long time to clean, rub and polish. Cleaning the door is much easier if you do it regularly and make sure that the glass is not dirty. In addition, to reduce the need to clean the glass fireplace door, you can use cleaner fuels that produce less smoke and soot.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Removing soot and stains from glass
Step 1. Get rid of black spots with a hot flame
Soot particles adhere to the glass door of a fireplace or wood-burning stove and can be difficult to remove. If you burn the soot with a very hot flame, it will separate from the glass and make it easier for you to remove it.
Before cleaning the glass door, light a hot flame in the fireplace or wood-burning stove once or twice so that soot and dirt particles accumulate on the glass can get away from it
Step 2. Wait for the glass to cool down
Never clean the fireplace or wood-burning stove while it is still hot. This also applies to the glass door. Otherwise, you may burn yourself and the glass may crack if handled carelessly.
For complete safety, wait a few days for the stove or fireplace to cool before cleaning
Step 3. Wipe off any plaque from the glass
If the fireplace or stove door is relatively clean, it is sufficient to remove light deposits from the glass. Dampen a microfiber cloth or paper towel with water, squeeze out excess water, and wipe the inside of the glass door.
- This is sufficient to remove white or grayish deposits that have formed on the glass due to heat, smoke and ash.
- If the glass is still dirty after doing this, continue with the cleaning process and proceed to the next steps.
Step 4. Remove dirt and grime with ash
Scoop up some fine white ash from a fireplace or wood stove. Put the ash in a bowl and add a few drops of water. Stir the ash with water until a paste is obtained (add some more water if necessary). Dip a microfiber cloth into the paste and wipe the glass in a circular motion.
- Use more paste, if necessary, and rub the glass with it until the soot is removed.
- Rinse the rag in water, wring out and wipe the glass with a clean rag.
- You can use an old newspaper instead of a rag.
- Wood ash has a high pH and contains calcium carbonate, so it is excellent for cleaning soot from glass.
Step 5. Remove brown stains with a cleaning agent
Due to the presence of carbon in the fire, brown spots sometimes form on the glass of the fireplace. To get rid of these stubborn stains, spray the fireplace glass cleaner onto the door and wait 30 minutes for the product to absorb. Then wipe the glass with a damp microfiber cloth to remove stains and cleaning agent residue.
- You can also clean the outer surface of the glass door in the same way if it gets dirty.
- Do not use ammonia-based cleaners on glass in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. These products can leave rainbow marks on the glass, which is why many glass manufacturers do not recommend using them.
Part 2 of 3: Keeping Glass Clean
Step 1. Clean the door regularly
The easiest way to keep your fireplace or wood stove glass door clean is to clean it regularly. In this case, you do not need a thorough cleaning. If you regularly use a stove or fireplace, clean the glass with an ash paste once a week:
- After the fireplace or stove has cooled down for 1-2 days, collect some white ash
- Mix ash with enough water to form a paste.
- Take a microfiber cloth and rub the resulting paste over the glass to remove grime and dirt.
- Wipe the glass with a clean, damp microfiber cloth
Step 2. Remove streaks with water and vinegar
Sometimes cleaning agents and ash paste will leave streaks on the glass that make the flame difficult to see. To remove these stains, mix one part vinegar with three parts water in a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto the glass and wipe dry with a dry microfiber cloth.
Clean both the inside and outside of the door in this way to completely remove streaks and stains from the glass
Step 3. Use a glass cleaner with silicone
Silicone cleaners leave a surface layer on the glass. This layer protects the glass from dirt and grime, so you need to clean the glass door less often and take less time to clean.
Before using any cleaner that is not specifically made for wood stoves and fireplaces, read the instructions supplied to make sure the cleaner is safe in high heat and fire conditions
Step 4. Don't scrape the glass
You may be able to use a razor or other sharp object to scrape off grime and grime from your fireplace or stove glass, but you may scratch the glass. Modern fireplaces and wood-burning stoves use ceramic glass, which is much softer than regular glass.
Scratches on the glass will make the fire less visible, and soot and dirt will settle in scratches and other surface defects
Part 3 of 3: Getting fire without soot
Step 1. Make sure the air ducts are not clogged
A clean flame produces less smoke and soot, which keeps the glass door clean for longer. Combustion requires oxygen, which enters the fireplace or wood stove through the air ducts, so it is important that they remain open and clean.
- Make sure that fuel does not block the intake air ducts.
- Remove ash regularly so that it does not clog the inlet ducts.
- When lighting a fire, make sure all air inlets are open and keep them fully open until a fire is established.
Step 2. Use only hardwood for firewood
If you want a clean fire in your fireplace or wood-burning stove, you should use dry hardwood as fuel. In this case, you will get the hottest flame, all the wood will burn to the end, and there will be little smoke and soot. To prevent the formation of large amounts of smoke, soot and creosote, do not use the following fuels:
- Wet or damp wood
- Coal
- Recycled wood
- Rubbish
- Large amount of paper
Step 3. Do not burn some softwoods
Compared to hardwoods, softwood contains more resin, so when it burns it emits more smoke, soot and creosote. Pine and birch are especially rich in resin, and the soot they release settles on the glass, so never burn these rocks in a fireplace or wood-burning stove.
Softwoods are conifers, while hardwoods are hardwoods
Step 4. Don't let the fire smolder
Smoldering occurs as a result of insufficient air flow, the use of damp wood or too much fuel. When smoldering, the wood does not burn properly, which leads to the settling of soot on the glass and creosote in the chimney. Avoid smoldering by the following measures:
- Ensure that there is enough air in the fireplace or stove, and if necessary, open the air inlets wider.
- Do not put too much wood in the fireplace or stove to extinguish the flame.
- Add 4-5 logs at a time
- Never burn wet wood
Step 5. Make sure that the flame does not touch the glass
If the fuel touches the glass, the flame will reach it. As a result, stubborn black spots form on the glass. To avoid this, do not put too much wood in the fireplace or stove and position it so that the flame is at a safe distance from the glass.