I have a new BK Princess insert I have encrusted with creosote from burning wet wood when I first started collecting wood. Rubbing wood ash on the glass door only goes so far.... I once read about folks using a razor blade on the tough stuff. I'm a little leery of doing this with my first stove. Has anyone done this? Results?
Razor blade experience with stove glass?
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jharkin
Minister of Fire
Igot the idea to try it from one of the BK burners here..I thing highbeam. Works great. The vc's do have coated glass and the coating is on the outside. The manual warns not to clean the coated side with anything.
Ram 1500 with an axe...
Minister of Fire
Newspaper plus water plus ash plus elbow grease = clean glass no matter what.....I learned it from YouTube from an English woman.... Don't give up, that is the trick...
Sprinter
Minister of Fire
I routinely use a wet microfiber cloth dipped in ashes which works well, but it always makes me a little nervous that I may pick up a piece of something abrasive and scratch the surface. A lot of wood has minerals in it that can even cause clinkers to form. I think I'm going to start using a non-ammonia cleaner specifically for stove windows like Rutland sells.
It's a Blaze King, you'll soon learn to not worry about the glass. 
Even burning great wood will result in a dirty glass once you dial it down. I can't remember the last time I cleaned mine, once I start burning hot fires it'll stay clean enough. 
Even burning great wood will result in a dirty glass once you dial it down. I can't remember the last time I cleaned mine, once I start burning hot fires it'll stay clean enough. Yeah, you don't really have any idea what we're up against with a Blaze King. This isn't just a little soot like you get with a non cat, this is more less a layer of hardened stage 100 creosote.
I could've never imagined such a mess on the glass when I had my Lopi.
akbear
Burning Hunk
I certainly have become a fan of that Rutland 84 conditioning cleaner after trying ash and a few other things people have suggested. It leaves behind a slick film of silicone that makes the next cleaning easier (so don't judge it by the initial cleaning, though even in that I was making better progress than I had before). Between that, a few triple sized cotton balls which work well to scrub into the corners and edges without dinging up the fingers, and a sheet of paper towel to finish it up, I doubt I'll be searching for any other solutions.
jharkin
Minister of Fire
Is that rutland cleaner safe for cats?
I get the same baked on creosote as the BK guys. Mostly in the shoulder season when you don't need a hot burn.
I get the same baked on creosote as the BK guys. Mostly in the shoulder season when you don't need a hot burn.
akbear
Burning Hunk
Guess that would be one for the stove or cleaner manufacturer. I know silicone is one of the things that can coat a cat and reduce or prevent it's effectiveness (such as a car that burns anti-freeze), though I think it's also one that can be burnt back off in high temp (unlike lead).
Being cat free I never had to entertain such a perplexing question, but it does also bring up another question....being that the window glass is cooler that causes the smoke to condense there and soot it up in the first place, does the film of silicone on the glass get hot enough to burn off, and if so, would the cat at that point be cool enough for the silicone to condense on it instead of passing by or burning immediately off it?
Being cat free I never had to entertain such a perplexing question, but it does also bring up another question....being that the window glass is cooler that causes the smoke to condense there and soot it up in the first place, does the film of silicone on the glass get hot enough to burn off, and if so, would the cat at that point be cool enough for the silicone to condense on it instead of passing by or burning immediately off it?
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BrianN
Feeling the Heat
Bster13, please let us know what BK suggests on the cleaning of the glass. Me, I'm not too worried about it as it is in the other room, and the stove is used for warmth, not looks. But, the wife is always asking what she can use to clean it. I keep telling her to not bother cleaning it, as it will just get dirty right away. One day though, I will surprise her. Clean the glass for her, then, watch it go back to its normal self.
Spoke to BK, actually they called me first thing this morning (and they are on Pacific Time! 
) and spoke to Chis their VP. He stated the Rutland stuff is good, but to be sure to remove it all before firing up the stove as it can etch the glass. He said that the Princess and King have large fireboxes and when you set the fire back so far, plus low and slow burning you are bound to gunk up the glass... but we all know that. he says a razor blade can be used as well so long as you don't nick the glass. He said he's not worried about the Rutland product damaging the CAT with a small amount of residue, the CAT damage is overwhelmingly from untight door seals.
) and spoke to Chis their VP. He stated the Rutland stuff is good, but to be sure to remove it all before firing up the stove as it can etch the glass. He said that the Princess and King have large fireboxes and when you set the fire back so far, plus low and slow burning you are bound to gunk up the glass... but we all know that. he says a razor blade can be used as well so long as you don't nick the glass. He said he's not worried about the Rutland product damaging the CAT with a small amount of residue, the CAT damage is overwhelmingly from untight door seals.
Heatsource
Minister of Fire
+1 on the razor blade.
let some glass cleaner soak in while shoveling ash, then scrape the now softer soot on the glass
let some glass cleaner soak in while shoveling ash, then scrape the now softer soot on the glass
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Paper towels and ash or even the rutalnd stuff just has no chance with the door gunk on a BK. Those methods are fine for that thin layer of haze but the baked on creo is very thick, and bumpy, it is like somebody sprayed bedliner on the inside of your window.
I use the rutland stuff first which removes about half of the very light gunk near the top of the glass, leaving only the bedliner gunk in the bottom corners. Then I hit those bottom corners with the razor blade. A sharp blade makes a big difference and the rutlands seems to lube the glass like a cutting fluid. The black gunk chips off and falls onto the hearth, we're not talking about a film but a thick layer. After that I go back with the rutland and do a full window polish. Looks great until I start a fire and then we're right back to where we started.
I might do this once a month or if we expect guests and I want to clean up.
Another thing to watch for with the rutlands is that it can run down and soak into the door gasket which can harden it and reduce its useful life. Keep it off the gasket.
If BK is having so many problems with the door gasket then perhaps they should improve that system to a flat gasket type vs. a knife edge type.
I use the rutland stuff first which removes about half of the very light gunk near the top of the glass, leaving only the bedliner gunk in the bottom corners. Then I hit those bottom corners with the razor blade. A sharp blade makes a big difference and the rutlands seems to lube the glass like a cutting fluid. The black gunk chips off and falls onto the hearth, we're not talking about a film but a thick layer. After that I go back with the rutland and do a full window polish. Looks great until I start a fire and then we're right back to where we started.
I might do this once a month or if we expect guests and I want to clean up.
Another thing to watch for with the rutlands is that it can run down and soak into the door gasket which can harden it and reduce its useful life. Keep it off the gasket.
If BK is having so many problems with the door gasket then perhaps they should improve that system to a flat gasket type vs. a knife edge type.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
As a child with a Lopi we actually used straight ammonia on the paper towel to dissolve the creosote. Pretty stinky. Why would you suggest that ammonia is a no-no? I don't use it for window cleaning in cars because it can destroy the film tint applied to automotive windows.
Sprinter
Minister of Fire
I found this quote:
"Do not use Windex or any other ammonia based cleaner to clean glass
Because we said so!
No really, when heated the ammonia will etch the glass and in time, cause spider webbing and possible breakage."
(Jotul Bulletin, December 2008)
I've also heard that it streaks.
akbear
Burning Hunk
it's almost comical, with my stove they give specifics of four different brands of cleaners to use on the ceramic glass top, but when it comes to the firebox glass they simply say use a
low alkaline content commercial stove glass cleaner and a whole paragraph warning not to use razor blades, steel wool, any abrasives and again to say use only a low alkaline cleaner. Why they can't seem to give specifics on glass is beyond me, but also mind numbing to try and figure out what is so different between the ceramic glass stove top, which they do supply a razor blade and suggest cleaners which obviously have a mild abrasive and the ceramic glass of the firebox door which they warn against razor blades and abrasives.
low alkaline content commercial stove glass cleaner and a whole paragraph warning not to use razor blades, steel wool, any abrasives and again to say use only a low alkaline cleaner. Why they can't seem to give specifics on glass is beyond me, but also mind numbing to try and figure out what is so different between the ceramic glass stove top, which they do supply a razor blade and suggest cleaners which obviously have a mild abrasive and the ceramic glass of the firebox door which they warn against razor blades and abrasives.
I do not think your ceramic glass cooking stove top is subject to 1100+ degrees sustained for an indefinite time period. I remember the very first models of those stoves, they would overheat and thermally shut down the whole stove until things cooled off enough for the thermal sensor/ breaker to reset. Meanwhile your dinner got cold or was ruined.
Machria
Minister of Fire
Todd
Minister of Fire
+2 razor blade works best but eventually you will get use to the black edges and just leave it.
akbear
Burning Hunk
In my case the ceramic glass cooktop is the top of the firebox, the first fires you could see the flames through the glass (interesting to note, the black ceramic glass cooktops aren't actually black, but extremely deep ruby red coloured), since then only directly over a very hot flame (which makes it look like an electric burner is on)
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