Friday, February 21, 2014

Free and easy way to keep glass door clean on heater

One of the best things about having a cozy warm fire is watching the flames dance around, but if the glass doors are not clean it takes away from the experience. Glass doors on masonry heaters and wood ovens get blackened with soot, and need to be cleaned periodically.

An old tried and true method that my grandfather used can solve the problem, allowing homeowners to once again enjoy their fire.

There are stove glass cleaners on the market that work well, but if you want to save some money and a trip to the hearth store left over wood ashes work fine.

To clean glass doors with ashes:
  • Wait until the glass is cool before cleaning
  • Get a damp paper towel or soft cloth
  • Dip the cloth into cold fireplace ashes and scrub the cold glass thoroughly
  • Wipe with a clean damp cloth
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Marge Padgitt is the president of HearthMasters, Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri.  She is a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep and NFI Wood-burning Specialist, and writes articles for national magazines and blogs.