Tip for cleaning wood burning stove glass

[Kitty]

I have a total of 4 wood burning stoves in 2 countries so I am now an expert at cleaning the glass that furs up with brown and black stuff.  No need for chemicals or special products.

Just scrunch up a piece of newspaper, dip it first into water and then into ash and then wipe the glass.  The gunge on the glass just comes off easily due to the newsprint and the slightly abrasive ash.

A stove specialist said that the chemistry of the ash offsets the residue left on the glass.

 

[nectarine]

Thanks, I'll try that tip.  I normally use a spray-on product which removes the black gunk on the glass but it seems to make the next burning stick even more (perhaps to ensure that you keep buying the product).  So I'll try your suggestion.  Cheer.

[mint]

Yes, nectarine, it works.  Not that I know first hand, you understand.  Cleaning the glass is the OH's job and he did volunteer for it, honest!

He heard about it from someone and now our glass is cleaned every morning and the fire looks wonderful!

[Geordie girl]

I do that too, my french neighbours gave me that tip. Having said that it`s the same french neighbour who supplied us with 2 dozen empty wine bottles to scatter about the lawn to deter the moles. Wind whistling around the neck of the bottles apparently. Didn`t work though.

I think it was easier for him than going to the dechetterie

 

 

 

[Kitty]

[quote user="Geordie girl"]

I do that too, my french neighbours gave me that tip. Having said that it`s the same french neighbour who supplied us with 2 dozen empty wine bottles to scatter about the lawn to deter the moles. Wind whistling around the neck of the bottles apparently. Didn`t work though.

I think it was easier for him than going to the dechetterie. [/quote]

The last sentence made me laugh, GG.

Now as for moles... but that will be for another thread.

[Weedon]

I use one of those scraper things that has a sort of razor blade in it.  B****r buying chemical gunky stuff, it costs too much.

I've tried that bottle trick for the moles as well as countless others, none of which work.  On a clear night I swear I can hear the soft notes of Colonel Bogey being played by a musical mole on those same bottles.

 

[plod]

It may work but it sounds very messy; I get a room full of ash just lifting the cold embers out of the stove.

[opas]

Not messy at all, try it, it really is as easy and clean as Cathy says.

[nomoss]

[quote user="Geordie girl"]

I do that too, my french neighbours gave me that tip. Having said that it`s the same french neighbour who supplied us with 2 dozen empty wine bottles to scatter about the lawn to deter the moles. Wind whistling around the neck of the bottles apparently. Didn`t work though.

I think it was easier for him than going to the dechetterie

 

 

 

[/quote]

Story probably put around by the same person who suggested putting bottles half filled with water outside the house to stop dogs urinating there. Several of our neighbours do this, with no noticeable effect on the dogs' habits.

In Spain they sprinkle sulphur powder on the side of the house, with the same results.

Bicarbonate of Soda sprinkled on the floor in doorways does get rid of cockroaches however.

[Kitty]

[quote user="plod"]It may work but it sounds very messy; I get a room full of ash just lifting the cold embers out of the stove.[/quote]

As Opas confirmed, it is not messy.  OK your hands get a bit black from the newsprint but the ash doesn't go anywhere as you dip a damp screwed up newspaper ball into the cold embers.  It really does work a dream, even on stubborn black bits.

 

[5-element]

I do use the damp newspaper dipped in ashes system, but not always, as I find you have to rub hard and long to get it clean eventually.

So for those with tennis' elbow, arthritis and tendinitis, here is another tip:

You can use a rag soaked in diluted  "lessive de soude" (caustic soda, bought by the liter at every droguerie, cheap). It does need to be heavily DILUTED with water. Use cautiously, with  new rubber gloves - no hole anywhere! Then  dispose of the black water carefully down the sink, and rinse the glass with another rag. It is much, much cheaper than the specialist products - but of course, not as green and ecologically sound as the wet ashes system.

[Limousin Lass]

I have used the wet paper/ash system for cleaning the fire glass for a few years and find that if I pre-wet the glass and leave for a couple of minutes before trying to clean it makes the job much easier.  I used to use newspaper but since moving to France I don't have them so now use scrunched up kitchen roll, much cleaner on the hands.

[plod]

Walking through the streets of old Albi I noticed several bottles of water outside people's front doors - now I know why!

[5-element]

[quote user="Limousin Lass"]I have used the wet paper/ash system for cleaning the fire glass for a few years and find that if I pre-wet the glass and leave for a couple of minutes before trying to clean it makes the job much easier.  I used to use newspaper but since moving to France I don't have them so now use scrunched up kitchen roll, much cleaner on the hands.[/quote]

 

Those are 2 very good tips, LL, thanks, I will try that as I would much prefer to use the ash system exclusively.

[Kitty]

[quote user="Limousin Lass"]I used to use newspaper but since moving to France I don't have them so now use scrunched up kitchen roll[/quote]

Interesting as I lack newspapers here.  I have to wait for hubby to fly out with 3 or 4 copies of the Telegraph (he brings back issues for me to read), which I guard with my life for jobs such as this.

If only Simon Heffer knew what I was doing with him.  I especially keep the column on his page for cleaning the glass.

 

[New Start]

I have today tried the ashes and water method - although it does work, the window was really filthy and it took the best part of an hour, and I still have a small patch which I left in the end.  My stove is a Godin (carvin 366101), so I have a couple of questions - normally I clean the window every morning, but it seems to get very heavily marked once it is closed down over night, I am burning a mixture of oak and hornbeam, am I doing something wrong? Does the window need to be really cold to use this method? Do people really spend an hour or so every day cleaning the window - at the moment I work from home, but if I had a normal job, it would be even more inpractical.

Any advice gratefully received - I love my woodburner, and it is my only source of heating, but cleaning the window is driving me mad!

[Clair]

It's normal for the deposit on the glass to get worse as the air vents are closed off. Nothing to worry about there.

It should take all of 2 minutes, if that, to clean the glass using the damp-ball-of-paper-dipped-in-ashes method, on warm or cold glass.

[Théière]

[quote user="New Start"]

I have today tried the ashes and water method - although it does work, the window was really filthy and it took the best part of an hour, and I still have a small patch which I left in the end.  My stove is a Godin (carvin 366101), so I have a couple of questions - normally I clean the window every morning, but it seems to get very heavily marked once it is closed down over night, I am burning a mixture of oak and hornbeam, am I doing something wrong? Does the window need to be really cold to use this method? Do people really spend an hour or so every day cleaning the window - at the moment I work from home, but if I had a normal job, it would be even more inpractical.

Any advice gratefully received - I love my woodburner, and it is my only source of heating, but cleaning the window is driving me mad!

[/quote]

I use cheap o'l leader price oven cleaner, the one that foams, spray on leave for a minute wipe off. Done!

Brother in law thought I had broken the glass it was that clean he could not see it.

[Llantony]

My OH ,who kindly looks after the stove, says the ash method doesn't work for thick sticky deposits.  Recommends Braisal, spray on, leave on 10 minutes, wipe off.  Leaderprice oven cleaner may be worth a try if it's a lot cheaper.