Cleaning Glass

[ironworker]

Does anyone clean the glass on their stove while it is hot, I would like to clean mine while burning 24/7.

 

[Agent]

I have a few times. If it's just a haze, I'll hit it with a cotton cloth. If it's really dark, just crank up the fire for a while and burn it off.

 

[HotCoals]

I hear the glass with a tube stove does not dirty. dunno

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We don't need to clean it often and then it is only some fly ash on the glass. The last time I think I wiped it quickly with a damp cloth after cleaning ashes. Usually though I'll clean it on a warm day when we either let the stove die out or almost die out.

 

[madison]

avoid windex with ammonia when hot, it can stain the glass, rutland glass cleaner will remove the ammonia stains and does make it easier to wipe off but only while luke warm, would be careful with shocking the glass while hot

 

[Wood Duck]

I have done it with a damp cloth. It makes me a little nervous that I'll crack the glass so I avoid it. The 'glass' in a wood stove is supposed to be very stable with temperature changes, which is why it doesn't crack, but I don't like to push my luck.

 

[HotCoals]

I'm bad..I clean it off with a razor blade scraper...new blade every 4th time or so.
Did it to my old stove for years..no prob..your results may vary.

 

[woodmiser]

It's not glass... it's ceramic.

 

[HotCoals]

Glass-ceramics, on the other hand, are made especially for high heat applications like fireplaces and wood stoves. Its the same type of material that is used on stoves and glass cooktops. It can take the heat (up to 1400F) and will not break if the temperature changes rapidly.

http://www.tecniglas.com/robax/fireplacereplacement.html

 

[snowleopard]

I hear the glass with a tube stove does not dirty. dunno

Good point. And the secondary-ignition stoves have such beautiful fires that it's a good thing we have clear glass all the time. :roll:

 

[Huntindog1]

Awesome Orange does a really good job. Its at the Dollar Stores, half gallon for only a dollar.

I lightly spray it on lightly , little bits at a time, to slowly cool the glass while the stove is at coal stage.

Seems like the cleaners dont work well until the glass gets cooled down as the cleaner evaporates quickly on the hot glass thus doesn't work well.

On really bad spots a SOS pad works well and doesnt scratch the glass.

My wood needs to be seasoned just a little bit better I tested it at 22 to 24% moisture.

 

[bokehman]

No need for any cleaning products if you run the stove properly. If it is just grey haze (fly ash) it will wipe off with a dry cotton cloth or screwed up newspaper. If it is brown you've been running it a bit cool. All you need to do is get the ceramic up to around 900ºF for a short while and it will clean up (just the same as a domestic oven with pyrolytic cleaning). 900ºF sounds a lot but it's not that high. On my insert when I run it normally the grill area with the fan turned on gets to around 550ºF while the ceramic runs at about 800ºF. Like that the glass stays perfectly clean, but to clean it up if it does get dirty requires those extra few degrees. To get the extra heat fill it right to the top with good wood and burn it with the air closed. If you burn with the primary air open the glass won't clean up because the cool air coming in the primary and running down the inside of the cermic will never allow it to heat up sufficiently to clean the glass.

 

[blel]

No need to spend money on cleaners, a damp paper towel or rag dipped in the ashes from your ash bucket works great. Or if the stove is out just use the ashes in the stove.

 

[Huntindog1]

Blel, I have heard that before , I need to try it. Can the ashes clean a hot window I,m wondering?

Bokehman, Good points about getting the heat to 900. As I think alot of people have trouble getting their heat up to 900. In the beginning for me using these new type stoves I was thinking what you eluded too is give it more air but its not that simple. By filling the box up full its reducing the open area and the heat builds up much better. Its something that people have to learn is how to build heat in these stoves. I see so many posts that they cant get the draft going as they are not even getting the flue hot as they got the door open letting in cool air cooling the flue and cooling the upper area of the stove where the burn tubes are. The newspaper knots are really a good tool as at first I thought there was better way. But those newspaper knots as shown in the Canadian Video on using a High Efficiency Wood Stove. I saw that video and never really took much notice on the newspaper knots. But the newspaper burns so hot and fast. Especially if you use 5 or 6 full sheets made into the knots like they show in the video. As the paper is so thin you can get it going and shut the door. But here is a key point to take note of, Yes the air will be reduced but because the newspaper is so thin and burns so fast and hot you can shut the door allowing the heat to build up in the stove and flue with very little air flow so it allows everything to heat up fast and hot with the door shut. I think the using 5 or 6 of the paper knots not 2 or 3 is important and dont forget the small kindling. If your loading on coals you need just the small kindling but a good bunch of it to build heat fast. ......... Sorry to ramble on here.

But anyhow I clean my glass alot as my wood is not what it should be. I most time dont want to get my stove that hot as I am wanting to get a long burn time , so I most likely will be cleaning with a cleaner.

 

[blel]

I don';t know if I would do it on the window when the stove is at 500-600. Do it when it's cooled down a little. I wouldn't use chemicals either at 500-600.

 

[firefighterjake]

Not sure if I would call it "hot" or just "very, very warm" . . . but yeah . . . all the time . . . or rather once to twice a week . . . I use a damp newspaper to clean up the fly ash and haze on the glass (little to no black or brown gunk) to make it look a little bit prettier . . . sometimes the glass is more like very, very, very warm and I have to be fast and keep flipping the newspaper as the moisture dries very quickly . . . just plain water and newspaper works for me . . .

 

[PapaDave]

When there has been a split with a bit of water in it, or sap, I'll get a few spots on the glass. At the end of the burn, when there are some colas left, I'll open the door to let the glass cool, then either use a piece of newspaper or some Rutland's glass cleaner when the glass has cooled.
Depends how bad it is, but it's usually not much.

 

[Wood Duck]

I hear the glass with a tube stove does not dirty. dunno

Good point. And the secondary-ignition stoves have such beautiful fires that it's a good thing we have clear glass all the time. :roll:

Theoretically the glass stays clean, but in practice it can sometimes get dirty.

 

[clemsonfor]

I was told to use oven glass cleaner when cold. I usually use a dry paper towel if hot, will wipe most soot off. But if you crank it up for a few hours it burns it clear anyway. Dont burn wet wood on a slow fire near the glass and it will stay crystal clear.

 

[HighHeat22]

I tried using the ash for the first time and it worked great. My manuel on stove said to always use a good glass cleaner only and that is all I have did. But, the ash trick worked super I hope does not hurt or scratch glass.

 

[Iembalm4aLiving]

I tried using the ash for the first time and it worked great. My manuel on stove said to always use a good glass cleaner only and that is all I have did. But, the ash trick worked super I hope does not hurt or scratch glass.

That's what I do. Seems to work great!