Soot & dirt
Cleaning the fireplace glass: These tools ensure a clear view
Stubborn combustion residues usually cannot be removed with ordinary glass cleaners
© glebchik / Getty Images
As beautiful as a blazing fire in the fireplace may be, it still leaves its mark: if black soot settles on the pane, the view of the burning wood is obscured. To remove stubborn dirt, an ordinary glass cleaner is often not enough.
In order not to scratch the fireplace glass, cleaning brushes with hard bristles are an absolute no-go, the same applies to steel wool and scouring pads. But what if the soot deposits can no longer be removed with a normal sponge and a glass cleaner? In fact, there are a number of practical tips and home remedies that ensure a clear view – or even special fireplace glass cleaners for particularly stubborn dirt. What these are and when it makes sense to use them is explained in this article.
Clean fireplace glass properly: The best home remedies
- A tried and tested trick for cleaning fireplace glass is to use fine glass ash. Yes, you read that right: Simply use the remains of the burnt logs by lightly moistening a clean paper kitchen towel – alternatively an old newspaper – with water and then dabbing it into the (cold!) wood ash. Rub it over the fireplace glass in a circular motion until the soot is removed and then polish the glass with a clean cloth.
Important note: Do not use burnt coal ash as it may contain coarse particles that will scratch the glass. - The combination of vinegar and baking soda should also be suitable for removing soot from a fireplace glass. To do this, mix both home remedies until a homogeneous mass is created. Then apply the viscous paste to the window and let it take effect briefly (up to ten minutes, depending on how dirty it is). Then clean the glass with a damp sponge and polish the pane with a clean, dry cloth.
- Two other home remedies that can be used to clean fireplace glass are fresh ones Lemons and Black tea. All you have to do is cut the fruit into thin slices and rub it over the glass with light pressure. However, you first boil the tea as usual and then use it as cleaning water.
When a fireplace window cleaner makes sense
While light dirt can usually be removed with ordinary household remedies, heavily sooted windows are difficult to clean. Here the use of Fireplace glass cleaners be quite useful – either in the form of special ones Sponges, which do not require any chemicals and can therefore be used dry without scratching the glass. Alternatively, there are also liquid cleaning products for fireplace glass that can remove not only soot, but also tar and grease from fireplace and stove glass. How the spray is used correctly is stated on the manufacturer’s packaging.
This will prevent heavy soot buildup
To prevent too much soot from settling on the fireplace glass in the first place, these preventative measures are helpful: On the one hand, it is recommended to only burn dry wood – if it is (still) too moist, the temperature in the stove will drop and this will occur strong soot formation. On the other hand, incorrect fuels (such as paper or cardboard) are the reason why your fireplace glass turns black more quickly. Another reason for severe contamination could be the wrong air supply: if the wood doesn’t draw enough oxygen, more soot is produced. In this case you should increase the air supply.
Last but not least, logs that are too large can also be responsible for a lot of soot formation as they inhibit the burning process. For this reason, it is advisable to only use medium-sized logs, but not too many. Arrange them in the fireplace so that there is enough space for the wood to draw sufficient oxygen.
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