Glass disaster

[heffergm]

Because it's been so warm, I've been burning biobricks and only one load in the morning. The stove peaks around 600 by which point the air is closed down.

My glass is black as coal, and I can't even hope to get it clean by hand. It just doesn't come off with a wet paper towel.

I'm guessing the only way around this is a sustained fire in the 650 range? I better turn the AC on to get ready....

 

[WoodNewbie]

weird...never seen that before (a dirty glass with biobricks). I thought that your glass gets dirty when your wood is wet.
How many bricks did you have?

 

[heffergm]

Varies... But generally I fire off 3, let them coal, then add 4-6 more to establish a good
fire. I think this latest batch has absorbed a bit of moisture as they've been reluctant to fire off, but I'm still at a loss.

 

['bert]

I use to use hand cleaner (the stuff that smells like oranges with the small grit in it) to clean my FP glass. Now that I am on this dry wood / burn it hot kick, it stays fairly clean by itself.

 

[heffergm]

Yeah, after trying to light another batch of these things tonight, they're definitely wet. Way too much smoke and having to crack the door to get them going. This mess is going to take forever to burn off.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

have you tried a little ash on a wet paper towel, works great for me. Although I just mainly have to clean the bottom corners.

 

[Stoph]

The ash on the paper towel will definately work. Just wet a paper towel dip it into the ash and start wiping the glass should come right and make it look new. I didnt believe this would work but it does.

 

[Scotty0844]

Simple green and a Scotch Brite pad. Someone told me a razor scrapper too. I haven't tried the razor myself so I don't know if it works or not.

 

[fossil]

Simple green and a Scotch Brite pad. Someone told me a razor scrapper too. I haven't tried the razor myself so I don't know if it works or not.

NO No Scotch-Brite pad. Those things can scratch glass (so, I assume, they can also scratch neoceram). I damaged a windshield once using a Scotch-Brite pad to remove some paint overspray. Lots of other ways I could have cleaned it up, but I didn't know. Permanent damage. Don't ever ever get a Scotch-Brite pad close to a piece of glass/ceramic/neoceram/whatever that you care about. Rick

 

[Scotty0844]

really? the green plastic kind?

 

[WoodNewbie]

were they exposed to water? I am surprised they can actually become wet.

I used Rutland 84 to clean up my glass. It is wonderful.

 

[glassmanjpf]

The wet paper towel dipped in fine ash is the way to go. Then just wipe clean with another wet paper towel.

 

[fossil]

really? the green plastic kind?

Scotty, the name "Scotch Brite" is attached to a very wide range of products...many of them are "the green plastic kind". What I'm sayin' is that there's a wide array of grit/aggressiveness in that whole family of products, and if you're not careful to pick up the right one, you can do some serious damage. I think they make some that are safe for delicate surfaces, but I know they make some that are definitely not. So...learn from my mistake. Pick the one that's right for your application...lots of them are green, but they're by no means all the same. Rick

http://www.scotch-brite.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotch-BriteBrand/Scotch-Brite/Products/Directory/

 

[sandie]

Wet newspaper with ashes on it and then dry with dry newspaper is what I do and it works well. Sounds like either wet or dry newspaper to clean off after the ashes. BUT make sure the windows are dry before you fire her up. Any wood that is wet will give you creosote on windows or whatever it is.

 

[BrotherBart]

Quit closing the air all the way down. That is where the airwash comes from. Ya know, the stuff that keeps the glass clean.

Yeah, I know. I am the only one that doesn't understand how to burn wood. But the last time I cleaned the glass in any of these stoves was a warm day in November just to take the light haze off of them.

 

[Scotty0844]

got ya Perhaps I just lucked out and happened to have the right kind on hand because I haven't a scratch on my glass.....yet.

really? the green plastic kind?

Scotty, the name "Scotch Brite" is attached to a very wide range of products...many of them are "the green plastic kind". What I'm sayin' is that there's a wide array of grit/aggressiveness in that whole family of products, and if you're not careful to pick up the right one, you can do some serious damage. I think they make some that are safe for delicate surfaces, but I know they make some that are definitely not. So...learn from my mistake. Pick the one that's right for your application...lots of them are green, but they're by no means all the same. Rick

http://www.scotch-brite.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotch-BriteBrand/Scotch-Brite/Products/Directory/

 

[cycloxer]

Use kitchen ceramic stovetop cleaner. I wouldn't use Scotch-Brite, but they do make a blue pad that is supposedly non-scratching.

 

[heffergm]

Use kitchen ceramic stovetop cleaner. I wouldn't use Scotch-Brite, but they do make a blue pad that is supposedly non-scratching.

There's a thought. I'll try that next. But thanks to those that suggested the ash trick, that worked nicely. I don't know what happened to create such a mess, but I went through half a roll of paper towels. Much happier now though!

 

[cycloxer]

The ash works good on a wet cloth or paper towel for daily cleaning. The ceramic cleaner is a little more aggressive for those baked on deposits. If you get most of it off and then run the stove up to 650°F and hold it there for a bit, you should be able to get the glass perfect.

 

[Jags]

If your glass is really that nasty, why don't you fire up a load of seasoned splits and run the stove like its supposed to be done. It will burn the majority of that crap back off with one load. And for what is left---I ain't getting into "this works, that works, blah, blah blah".....use the stuff from Rutland that was MADE TO CLEAN STOVE GLASS and your worries are over. Its the best product on the planet for the job. Period. I have had one bottle that is going on about 6 years old. So that comes out to....yeah...about 50 cents a year to clean my freakin glass. I got that kinda cash. %-P

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Get some dry wood- burn a solid load of that reasonably hot, and you should be able to clean the glass with the ash/paper towel/water trick in about one minute.

I suggest substituting urine for the water as it seems to help prevent sooting up the glass for a while for some reason, and it cleans a bit better than water.

 

[Jags]

I suggest substituting urine for the water as it seems to help prevent sooting up the glass for a while for some reason, and it cleans a bit better than water.

I have also heard this - many times -on this very site.

 

[firefighterjake]

I suggest substituting urine for the water as it seems to help prevent sooting up the glass for a while for some reason, and it cleans a bit better than water.

I have also heard this - many times -on this very site.

Yeah, AP keeps trying to convince folks . . . I have yet to hear of anyone who has actually tried it though.

 

[firefighterjake]

Short term easy solution: Pick up Rutland glass cleaner at stove shop or local hardware store, spray and wipe away with paper towel.

Short term easy . . . and cheap solution: Ball up wet newspaper, dip in ash . .. scour glass repeatedly.

Short term solution that I have tried before on those really stubborn black spots but never do any more: Use razor to gently scrape away black.

Longer term solution: Follow Bart's advice . . . don't turn down the air as much or so quickly . . . and keep the stove top temps high enough with a good enough ratio of air to promote clean burning.