does vinegar do any long term glass damage?

[pellet9999]

Regarding glass cleaning......Does vinegar discolor the glass with time? Can you you use either cider or clear vinegar?Ash could definitely put small scratches in glass.??
Its known to be abrasive. Good in cement though..

 

[n6crv]

Hello, about the only thing I can think of it might Pickle it.
Don

 

[randy1]

IDK about vinegar, but I take a moist, somewhat soft towl, and dip it in ash from the stove. Then I rub with pressure and the soot comes right off, with no scratches. No harm done.

 

[eightpilot]

If your glass is ceramic then it is very hard to scratch in general. I use the wet paper towel dipped in ash technique as well and have never had any problems. Every once in awhile i use a little windex as well... no discoloration whatsoever. 8

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Another vote for the damp paper dipped in ash. Works like a charm.

 

[jtp10181]

We use Windex w/ vinegar on gas fireplace glass. The ammonia in normal glass cleaners is harsh on the glass. We have never seen any side effects from the vinegar.

 

[Nyquil Junkie]

I have a small paint brush in a can of water behind the stove, I dip the wet brush in ashs and soft scrub off anything thats on the glass.
Then just paper towel it dry.

Stubborn stuff will come off in a few min of you leave it on there, ashes and water = crude lye it'll clean it like new if you leave it set on there a while

 

[ControlFreak]

Never never use an ammonia-based glass cleaner. I have done this and it definitely will create a cloudy haze in your glass that is impossible to remove. I have spent time on the phone with one of the ceramic glass suppliers and they have confirmed to me that ammonia will lead to etching of the glass over time. Once or twice isn't going to be a problem, but after a season or two using ammonia, and you will begin to see the haze begin to appear.

For example, when I first bought my Napoleon 1401, I didn't know any better, so I used standard ammonia based Windex. After 3 seasons, the glass was cloudy, and so I called around and was told about this by a ceramic glass supplier. So I quit using the ammonia and replaced the glass. After several years and no cloudy glass, I got lazy and started using the ammonia again. Then I got the cloudy glass again. Some of us have to learn twice! So now after 12 years on the 1401, I'm on my 3rd piece of glass, and it's still pretty clear after, I think, 4 seasons.

I find that the glass is a wearing part and that no matter what you do, it will still develop a bit of a haze to it after a few years, especially if I get a wet piece of wood and the endgrain sprays sap on the glass as it boils off. A light cloudy residue (or perhaps a permanent etching) is there permanently in one spot on the glass I have now, and has this splattered appearance.

I have used the vinegar-based glass cleaner and haven't experienced any problem with it. I don't like it though, mainly because I don't like the way it smells.

I don't mind replacing my glass every 5 years or so. It's a bit pricey at about $130, but if you split that up over 5 years, it's lunch money compared to the cost of oil heat.

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm too cheap to use windex or vinegar . . . I save the Windex for the windows and glass in the end tables and the vinegar for the french fries . . . for my stove glass it's water from the tap, the week-old newspaper and ashes.