How Do I Clean My Wood Stove Glass?

Blackened stove glass is one of the most common problems stove owners have. If your stove glass has gone dark, don't worry - it's easy to clean using free materials, and once you understand why it happens, changing your burning habits can prevent it entirely.

What can I use to clean my stove glass?

There's no need to buy any specific cleaning products or tools for this. The things you need are likely near your stove already:

• Newspaper or kitchen roll (damp)
• Ash from the fire

You will be surprised how well this simple solution works, but please make sure your stove is cool before attempting to clean the glass.

Scrunch up some newspaper (or kitchen roll if you don't have any) and slightly dampen it. Dip this in a small amount of ash from the fire and then gently rub the inside of the stove glass. Stove glass is usually tough stuff, however it's important not to apply too much pressure while cleaning.

The ash has two purposes in this process, as a mild abrasive and also when mixed with water creates an alkaline solution that works well against the acidic creosote deposits.

Depending on how black your stove glass is, you might need a couple of applications using fresh pieces of paper to get rid of everything. Sometimes finishing off with a drier piece can buff off the last bits of residue.

What NOT to use

It's important not to damage your stove glass while cleaning. Using chemicals or abrasive materials can cause permanent damage.

Do not use:

• Kitchen / Oven glass cleaners - the harsh ammonia will cause damage with repeated use
• Abrasive scourers, wire wool or pads - they will scratch the glass
• Water on hot glass - thermal shock can cause cracks

The newspaper/ash method works most of the time and is gentle enough to not cause damage to your glass.

Why does the glass go black?

Creosote and tar are by-products of the burning process - occasionally this residue can darken the glass of your wood stove.

While it's normal to see a small amount of this from time to time, if your stove glass starts to get a significant buildup of dark brown/black residue it can suggest a couple of potential issues. The usual culprits are wet wood and decreased airflow.

Most modern stoves are designed to have an "airwash" system that directs the airflow across the inside surface of the glass to help burn off any creosote residue. When this is working properly and you're burning dry wood at a good temperature, the glass should stay clear.

Darkened glass goes hand in hand with smoky fires - make sure you're familiar with clean burning principles before investigating further.

How often should you need to clean it?

If you have a modern stove with an airwash system, and burn kiln-dried Ready to Burn wood, you shouldn't typically see much creosote buildup on the glass. Sometimes you might see a bit, for example if you have over-fuelled or turned the air intake down too much so that there isn't enough oxygen for complete combustion. When this happens, or when a thin film of whiter/grey fine ash builds up on the glass, the method above should have your glass clear again in no time.

What if paper & ash doesn't work?

You might find that you have significant buildup of residue - if multiple applications of the method we discussed here fail to work, it might be time to look at commercial glass cleaners.

It could be that you have an old stove, with pitted or scratched glass that gives the residue a place to hide - if your glass is genuinely beyond saving, replacement glass panels are available for most stove models.

In summary

• Black stove glass is a symptom of incomplete combustion, typically made worse by wet wood or restricted airflow
• The simplest cleaning method is free: damp newspaper dipped in cool ash
• Avoid scourers and abrasive cleaners that will damage your glass and make future cleaning more difficult
• Modern stoves with airwash systems shouldn't need much cleaning when burning dry wood
• If the residue keeps returning, investigate airflow and temperature

It can take time to get used to burning with your stove, but once you have it dialled in you should be able to enjoy watching the flames through clear glass.