Need Recipe for door glass cleaner

  • 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.
Yup. For me, specifically dampened newspaper dipped in very powdery ashes. I usually have to follow with glass cleaner and a paper towel to get it really clear.
 
Cerama Bryte wipes.... they are new, work pretty good too.
They come in those containers like the clorox wipes.
 

Attachments

  • glass cleaner.JPG
    glass cleaner.JPG
    25.1 KB · Views: 283
I'll third the wet paper towel dipped in ashes. You have to experiment with this -- first time I tried it I thought it was useless. Sometimes you have to rub for a while, and all of a sudden the creosote starts to magically come off.
 
Thanks--I thought it had something else in it besides ashes (like a drop of dish soap, etc). I need to clean my door glass and saved a small container for ashes but I thought I had to mix them with something. Oldtimers here.
 
CountryGal said:
Thanks--I thought it had something else in it besides ashes (like a drop of dish soap, etc). I need to clean my door glass and saved a small container for ashes but I thought I had to mix them with something. Oldtimers here.

Some people use vinager and ashes.
 
I use a paper towel totally wet, then dip it in ashes from my ash pan. They work the best cause they are very powdery. Follow up with regular glass cleaner and dry paper towel. I do this once a week and my glass is alway clean, even when burning 24/7.
 
I use vinegar and hot water. If there are any really stubborn stains, I will dip my rag in the ash and that usually does it.
 
The Rutland wood stove glass cleaner has silicone in it and it really does make the next cleaning much easier, just a light wipe and the most stubborn build up comes right off. At around $6 for a bottle that will last multiple seasons it's well worth it in my opinion.
 
Rich M said:
The Rutland wood stove glass cleaner has silicone in it and it really does make the next cleaning much easier, just a light wipe and the most stubborn build up comes right off. At around $6 for a bottle that will last multiple seasons it's well worth it in my opinion.
I second that..........
 
I just use regular oven cleaner, works fine. have friends that do the same
 
We just use the newspaper dipped in ashes method, works well, is free, and easy on the planet. Oven cleaner is nasty stuff, tends to be somewhat toxic, I wouldn't even clean my oven with it (I use baking soda paste, let it dry and the gunk all comes off with it.) I bought oven cleaner once in my life, over 20 years ago. Read the directions and was a bit frightened (numerous warnings, wear gloves, ventilate the room, don't breathe the fumes, etc., and it smelled horrible.) Why put that in your house?
 
am I bad to use an SOS pad?

( steel wood with soap in it)

then I wipe with a wet paper towel.

it works great.

ashes work too, but require alot more elbow grease scrubbage in my experience.
 
Some Like It Hot said:
We just use the newspaper dipped in ashes method, works well, is free, and easy on the planet. Oven cleaner is nasty stuff, tends to be somewhat toxic, I wouldn't even clean my oven with it (I use baking soda paste, let it dry and the gunk all comes off with it.) I bought oven cleaner once in my life, over 20 years ago. Read the directions and was a bit frightened (numerous warnings, wear gloves, ventilate the room, don't breathe the fumes, etc., and it smelled horrible.) Why put that in your house?

I've got news for ya, Marcia: If you're using wet wood ashes, you're using the exact same thing that's in oven cleaner: NaOH, sodium hydroxide. So the planet's still in peril. ;-)
 
Don't know what name brand it is but I buy the stove glass cleaner at I believe Home Depot.......the manual pump spray head partially "foams" the cleaner and I let it set for about 30 seconds and then rub it off with a paper towel and it all comes off.....VERY quick...and you're not rubbing ashes on the glass.....
 
I have a spray bottle with a 50/50 white vinegar/water mix. I just use that with some paper towels. Works great.

Of course, wait until the glass has cooled. I usually try to clean it on a warmer day or on a weekday when why wife and daughter aren't at the house so I can turn the stove off for a while.
 
The glass in my V/C DW2500 stays almost crystal clear. Only gets dirty if a log rolls up against it, then it will burn off in the next fire. only get some fogging otherwise (ash?) and wipe that with a wet paper towel almost like dusting the furniture it comes off that easy.
 
ozarkjeep said:
am I bad to use an SOS pad?

( steel wood with soap in it)

then I wipe with a wet paper towel.

it works great.

ashes work too, but require alot more elbow grease scrubbage in my experience.

Isn't using anything abrasive a bad idea? You could perceivably over time score the glass which is going to introduce a weak point in the glass... I'd be very very gentle with the steel wool or anything that might scratch the glass...

Jay
 
Dang! We're doing something wrong here because my glass is already bad on both corners of the stove from the fire last night. Using kindling and fatwood to start it up and get hot coals and then adding splits. Back to Fire Starting 101.
 
Some stoves just get dirtier glass than others. I love the clarity my glass holds but there is something I like about the opaque coke colored look too. Like stained amber colored glass.
 
I’ve got news for ya, Marcia: If you’re using wet wood ashes, you’re using the exact same thing that’s in oven cleaner: NaOH, sodium hydroxide. So the planet’s still in peril.

When I put a damp folded up newspaper into the ashes, it does not make a horrible smelly foam which one must avoid touching or breathing. Therefore, I would conclude that there are significant differences in using ashes vs. using oven cleaner. Also, besides the crap IN the over cleaner, there is then the can to dispose of. Hence you oven cleaner users are imperiling the planet, and I am not. Nyah nyah nyah. ;-) Also, I believe that my stove manual says to use ashes and water, and not any cleaning products.
 
I use water and ashes. Sometimes windex and ashes, but both are always with crumpled newspaper. My glass stays pretty clean at this time of year with the nice hot fires now that it's cold
-Larry
 
Status
Not open for further replies.