Do you also enjoy the crackling fire so much? That enjoyment quickly fades when the stove glass is dirty. On this page, we explain why the glass of your wood burning stove becomes dirty, how you can prevent this and how to clean a dirty stove glass.
How does stove glass (not) become dirty
Let us start with some good news. The glass of your wood burning stove does not have to become dirty at all. Is your stove glass blackened or brown? In most cases, this is caused by incomplete combustion or the use of unsuitable wood. With the tips below, you can prevent this and save yourself a great deal of cleaning work.
- Ensure sufficient oxygen. A wood burning stove needs enough air supply to burn properly. Regularly check whether the air inlet is working correctly and is free from blockages.
- Use suitable firewood. Only burn clean, untreated wood. Avoid lacquered, painted, compressed, preserved or impregnated wood. This not only causes dirty glass but is also harmful to your health and the environment.
- Use dry wood. Damp wood is one of the main causes of incomplete combustion. Use wood with a moisture content of no more than 20 percent. Dry wood burns cleaner and more efficiently and prevents the formation of creosote.
- Burn at the correct temperature. A temperature that is too low leads to incomplete combustion. Make sure your stove is properly hot before adding more wood. Correct lighting and refuelling prevent the glass from becoming dirty.
- Maintain your stove and flue regularly. Have your chimney swept at least once a year and check that all parts of your stove are functioning properly.
- Choose a stove with the right output. A stove that is too powerful for a small room will quickly be forced to smoulder. This leads to poor combustion and deposits on the glass. Seek proper advice on the right output for your situation.
How to clean log burner glass
If your stove glass is dirty, we recommend the following step by step approach.
- Clean the stove glass with a cloth or kitchen paper and some ash from the stove.
- Use as little water as possible and no cleaning agents at all. We are sometimes asked whether stove glass can be cleaned with products such as Dasty or vinegar. Our answer is no. Water and cleaning agents affect the glass and the door seal, causing them to wear out more quickly.
- Do you have stubborn deposits and want to clean burnt in stove glass? An alternative is to clean the stove glass with a copper cloth. In this case, do not use water or any cleaning agents.
