The joy of a woodburning stove is losing yourself in the mesmerising, dancing flames but what can you do when your view is ruined by blackened glass? Here we look at how best to keep the glass clean and how to clean it once it becomes blackened.
The main causes for stove glass to blacken with soot are the fuel being used, how the stove is run and the performance of the airwash:
- The moisture content of your wood fuel is of the upmost importance for both heat output, a clean flue and a clear glass. Wet wood will gum your system up and pollute the air so you should not be burning anything with a moisture content above 20%. If you don’t have one, purchase yourself a Moisture Meter to keep an eye on your levels and ensure you are only buying fuel from Ready to Burn approved suppliers.
- If I had a pound for every time I was asked “can I run this stove overnight”, I’d be a millionaire but doing so (known as slumbering) is one of the worst things you can do to your stove. Wood burners are designed to be run at their optimum heat output and so by starving the stove of oxygen leads to a terrifyingly inefficient burn which will clog your flue with combustible tar and blacken your glass quickly. Run your stove hot and learn your controls! A Stove Pipe Thermometer will help with this.
- An airwash system is common on modern stoves and simply diverts air over the glass to help prevent the flames from licking the pane and depositing soot. For this to be effective, the stove needs to be run at its optimum output and ensure no logs are touching the glass.
Cleaning the Stove Glass
There are two methods for this: traditional water and ash or a dedicated stove glass cleaner.
If you like to keep things rustic and don’t mind a bit of a workout, take some scrunched up newspaper, dip it in water and then dip it in ashes from the stove once cooled and scrub the glass. Be careful not to scratch the glass with the ash and wipe away any residue with a damp cloth after.
For an easier job, use our Vitcas Stove Glass Cleaner to easily remove blackening, grease, tar and soot. Simply spray onto the glass, leave for a few minutes to fully work and wipe away with a damp cloth. This will remove stubborn stains that simple water and ash won’t touch.
For both methods, ensure you are using an appropriate cloth that will not scratch the surface, and be careful not to get any cleaning products onto the paint of the stove itself.