Cleaning glass - while it's hot?

Hi all...

First posting in the new setup... I've been here with a couple questions back when it was the older style forum...

ANYHOW... I was wondering - I saw a posting there that said the glass used in stoves was not really glass, but a transparent ceramic... which was news to me.

There are times when the glass on my stove gets a light coating of ash on it after burning for a long while - the air wash doesn't keep it completely clean. Would it be ok to wipe this down with a damp cloth while it's hot? Thinking it was glass, I never wanted to try it before... afraid that putting water on hot glass may cause it to shatter...

thanks...

No
Clean it when its cool

OR
Get a ripping hot fire in there, it does a pretty good job of cleaning it up
Should get a hot fire going at least once a day anyway, keeps things clean from smokebox to the chimney

Thanks. When I get a black residue on the glass (wet wood or smoky fire), you're right, a really hot fire burns it off good.


In this case, I'm just wondering about cleaning off any gray ash that shows up after a while - very little, I can see thru the glass pretty good - but it would be nice to have it crystal clear more often

I use a few wipes with a dry paper towel. It gets the ash off without damaing the glass, even when hot.

-- Mike

I understand that the ceramic "glass" that is used on woodstoves will take going from being 1000 degrees or hotter to being plunged into water with no ill effects. (I personally have not tried this) I have built a shield for my stove that can be placed in the doorway of the stove for a few minutes. Following the removal of ash, so with a very minimal coal bed in the stove, I'll place my shield in the doorway. This allows the small coal bed to burn hot, and the door will cool off quite a bit. I'll then clean the "glass" with a damp cloth. This works well and there are no chemicals. I'll only do this if the glass is cool enough that it won't sizzle when touched with the cloth. Once clean I'll remove the shield and load the stove.

The ceramic "glass" has a very small "coefficient of thermal expansion" meaning it has virtually no change in size with a change in temperature. This is what cracks normal glass and most ceramics. "In thory" you should be able to clean your glass while hot, but for safety and peace of mind, I usually let mine cool.

Corey

PS - found this pic showing the extreme torture test of the ceramic...red hot from cutting torch on the bottom and pouring water on the top.

I try to wipe that ashy haze off my glass every morning. The glass is usually "warm" and quickly dries while I'm wiping it. I usually use a damp paper towel, or if my wife isn't around, some ole'fashion spit and newspaper. I wouldn't try it while the glass is hot though.

Rick

If you try to clean while it's actually hot, you run the risk of giving yourself a steam burn from what ever liquid you use. Be careful.

Clean it warm NOT HOT.

Also buried somewhere here is a GREAT way to clean the glass.

Use a damp paper towel. Dip it in the ash, then clean the window, then use another damp cloth to wipe down the residue.

I tried it this weekend. Unblievable how well it worked.

Nice to know another spitter in the house . Works on scuba gear too.