Door Gasket and Window Cleaning

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Huntindog1

Minister of Fire
Dec 6, 2011
1,879
South Central Indiana
Last year I had sub par wood and had to clean my glass often.

When I would spray the glass to clean it the stuff would run down the window taking with it some of the crud off the glass and would absorb into the door gasket at the bottom of the door. Over time this gets that part of the door gasket pretty crusty as the heat then dries the liquid out of the gasket but leaves the crusty stuff thus your left with a crusty door gasket at the bottom of the door.

Anyone else have this issue and how to deal with it.

I just replaced my gasket and want to avoid the same thing this year.
 
I take a damp rag dip it in ash and clean up. no dripping
Agreed. Every stove I have had that has had glass cleaned up easily with a damp rag or paper towel dipped in ash. Even when I've mistakenly shut down the air too quickly when I leave the house with less than desirable wood which has resulted in black glass, it still cleaned up easily.
 
The Rutland cleaner works great - available at HD, Lowes, Tractor Supply etc. Dime size dab on a damp paper towel, wipe, then wipe off with dry paper towel. Purchased it a couple yrs ago for a couple bucks, the bottle is still 3/4 full.

I know I will get some flack, but, here it goes: I personally have some concerns with the ash technique - not that it does not work and economical - but, I know that some of my wood has dirt, mud etc that does not burn, and would be a little concerned with the remote chance of scratching the glass with something other than ash, that is stuck on the damp paper towel dipped in the stove ash.

I would also caution against Windex etc, on warm glass.
 
Had to replace my gasket cause of that last year.

now i have cleaned it once this fall to get a very light gray haze off using wet paper towel dipped in ash.
 
I have been using Windex for 25 years. Not that it's the right thing to do, but what are the ramifications of doing so?
I have not had any problems up until now.
I was always concerned that using ash would eventually start to remove the ultra smooth finish on the glass and make it a little bit hard to clean each time-kind of like using Comet on your bath tub.
 
I would like to see some tips on the real heavy black stuff - i use ash/rag most of the time but sometimes if i shut down improperly i will have the black stuff that will NOT come off with ash & wet rag, the spray stuff barely works on that too etc..wonder what "big guns" some of you veterans might use occassionally....
 
I use regular window cleaner. I only clean mine maybe three or four times a year. The glass just doesn't soot much at all compared to some. I've had a few stoves over the years and this one is by far the best air wash. Make sure the wood is seasoned well and burn hot oncein a while.
 
The Rutland cleaner works great - available at HD, Lowes, Tractor Supply etc. Dime size dab on a damp paper towel, wipe, then wipe off with dry paper towel. Purchased it a couple yrs ago for a couple bucks, the bottle is still 3/4 full.

I know I will get some flack, but, here it goes: I personally have some concerns with the ash technique - not that it does not work and economical - but, I know that some of my wood has dirt, mud etc that does not burn, and would be a little concerned with the remote chance of scratching the glass with something other than ash, that is stuck on the damp paper towel dipped in the stove ash.

I would also caution against Windex etc, on warm glass.

I to use Rutland glass cleaner and it works great. I spray the window once or twice and wipe before the drips can run very far and man is it clear. I bought the bottle over two years ago from a local Menards and i still have over 3/4 of the bottle left. This also works well on the hard black stuff.
 
And I just use one of the thin, flat nylon scrub things designed for cleaning non-stick pans: get moist, wring out, scrub the window, dry with paper towel and I'm set to go.
 
If I get junk on the glass it usually goes away with the next hot fire...hope that's OK. I sometimes use newspaper, dampened, or paper towel with ceramic cooktop cleaner.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huntindog1
Folks here recommend a straight razor blade to peel off the tough stuff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huntindog1
If this happens to me, I did use this rutland spray cleaner, but same thing, it ultimately soaked into the lower gasket. The wet newspaper/ash only works with a slightly dirty/hazy glass imho, and the straight razor works for the tougher corners. I think the best cleaner is a hot fire, and in a 1/2 hour or so the door will be much cleaner. Be well
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huntindog1
I tried the hot fire for 30 minutes and all I got was sweaty. Still black glass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WellSeasoned
I've had some caked on black glass from some of these used stove. Especially the Intrepid. The windows were a black opaque mess. A little elbow grease, ash, and paper towel cleaned them up.
 
My main issue was getting the door gasket gunked up as it soaks into it
 
My main issue was getting the door gasket gunked up as it soaks into it

Any liquid that you apply has the chance of dragging gunk with it into the gasket area as it falls so either get used to it, be sure to catch the drips, or pick a dry method.

The ash on a wet paper towel trick worked great for the light haze I would get on my last non-cat but this super thick creo from a smoldering cat fire is a totally different animal. Ammonia glass cleaner doesn't touch it, ash on the rag doesn't touch it, the blade scraped a bit of it but some of it is really tough. I may have to try those purpose made chemicals.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huntindog1
I would like to see some tips on the real heavy black stuff - i use ash/rag most of the time but sometimes if i shut down improperly i will have the black stuff that will NOT come off with ash & wet rag, the spray stuff barely works on that too etc..wonder what "big guns" some of you veterans might use occassionally....

SOS PADS and they dont scratch.
 
If this happens to me, I did use this rutland spray cleaner, but same thing, it ultimately soaked into the lower gasket.

The Rutland product I was describing is not the spray, but a viscous fluid. It does not drip. You put a small dab on a damp paper towel, wipe it on, and wipe it off with a dry towel. It leaves a "silicone" coating on the glass, sorta like the RainX stuff, which seems to make it easy to wipe off the subsequent haze etc.

http://www.rutland.com/productinfo/conditioning-glass-cleaner.html

Full Disclosure: I do not work for the company or sell this product.
 
My experience with a glass-door stove is minimal, but so far I have observed this: after burning on high, sometimes that does not leave the glass clean. However, once the stove is cool, much of the cooked-on gook just brushes off with a whisk broom; it seems to have been turned to ash, but not dislodged, by the airwash.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huntindog1
The glass on your door is NOT GLASS. Its clear ceramic and its extremely durable. A little ash will have little effect on it. It can be heated to red hot, and then dipped in icewater, and it won't break or even crack. A little ash will have zero impact on it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.