Do you love having a wood stove or fireplace?
Do you hate it when the glass gets sooty?
Do you hate it when you try to clean it with the "recommended" Windex ONLY?
I have found that Windex does NOTHING for getting the glass clean.
I was beginning to think we made a mistake paying the extra money for a glass fronted wood stove.
Then, I made the AMAZING discovery of the BEST window cleaner....no, I did not have to purchase it at the fireplace store for $10.00 a bottle.
All I needed was a bucket, water, newspaper, and the cold ashes from the fire.
Wad a piece of newspaper.
Dip it into the water....you don't even have to soak it....just make sure it is wet.
Dip the wet part of the newspaper into the cold ashes.
Begin rubbing on the sooty glass.
Believe it or not, it doesn't take much effort and the soot will just start melting off.....
You might have to add a little elbow grease to the really cooked on soot....
Keep dipping into water and ashes....use more newspaper.
Get a wet paper towel and wipe down window and dry!
SEE!!! It WORKS!!!
I don't do this regularly, just when it drives me nuts that I can't see the fire very good.
I think the last time I cleaned the window was before Christmas and we burn a fire almost every day.
Here are the dirty supplies.....didn't take much did it?Now, if I can figure out how to keep the hearth from being ashy.....don't you love my made up words?
This method works on fireplace glass as well.....just a little harder to clean because of the accordian glass on most fireplaces.
This method works on fireplace glass as well.....just a little harder to clean because of the accordian glass on most fireplaces.
7 comments:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my wood stove. I never turn on the heater which means we save so much money in winter since were on propane.
My mother taught me this same trick about cleaning the glass. I was in awe when she showed me. It works great! Water, Paper, and soot. Who woulda known! Perfect glass!
I wish I could say I had a fireplace, but I don't. We just don't really have a "need" for one here. Our other home had one and we'd burn a fire sometimes in the winter months, but that was it. I'd love one now, just because I think they are fabulous!
Thanks for stopping by and giving me suggestions. I like the idea of changing out the paper for the season. I won't do that now because it took so long just to decide I liked this, but how great would it be for Thanksgiving and especially Christmas?!
I hope you're having a great day!
Alas, I don't have a wood stove. But along the same lines, if you swirl semi crushed ice cubes around in the bottom of a coffee pot that has been left on, it will a long way toward getting the gooky burnt on coffee off.
I'm wondering if both the ice and the soot have the same sort of exfoliating properties or something. Either way, they're both good tips.
Oh, I remember my mom doing this with the glass on our woodstove in Maryland :) I forgot all about it, though. So far, we don't really have any soot built up on the glass, which amazes me since i know the fireplace was not cleaned before we moved it and we have used it alot! Gonna have to start a fire soon today--our heater went out in the middle of the niht! YIKES!!
that's pretty interesting. we have a wood stove at our cabin but it doesn't have a little window so i don't have to clean it.
Whata great idea...I am writing this down in my notebook for future refernce we were recently given a woodstove and are keeping it for the day we have a house we can put it in - I can't wait!
Blessings,
Liisa
Aw...we had a wood stove in the house when I was kid.I use to love that thing!I do remember having to clean the little window a time or two as a teen and hating it,I do wish I had one now.
Post a Comment