How do you clean the glass on a fireplace?

When winter comes to an end, and the spring clean begins, many of us ask ourselves – how do you clean the glass on a fireplace? Having worked so hard over the past months, most fireplaces have black and orange streaks scattered all over the glass. Not what you want to be left with after bringing the house to sparkle.  

Wood fireplaces are something amazing, aren’t they? With their elegant curves, beautiful designs and all different sizes, they instantly add a vintage touch – a nostalgic feel – to a home. While I am a huge fan of central heating and feel that Australia should finally catch onto the trend, there is something so magical about lighting the fire place. The moment the first few flames start to catch, spreading across the logs, the heat builds up and starts to warm you from within. It’s like an invisible cup of hot chocolate, running down your throat and into your tummy.

New fireplaces

A few years ago, we installed a new fireplace in our home. The previous owners had one installed already, but the years had run it down and it was simply not safe to keep around children anymore. So out with the old, in with the new. The new fire feature has a beautiful, sleek design. Very simple, very elegant. A curved door with a large, single glass panel on the front. I was so excited to start using it. Sadly, after a season of firing hard, the previously clean glass on the fireplace turned all different shades of black and orange, always making the room look a bit filthy. 

We all know that once you burn wood, leftover ash collects and needs to eventually be emptied out. It’s a fairly simple process which can be executed by using a small shovel, gloves or worst case, an old vacuum cleaner. What is much, much trickier to clean though is the black residue that’s collected on the glass fireplace doors. So how do you clean fireplace glass doors?

It’s simple!

Well, you will be surprised how simple it is! The thing is, in my experience, if you asked most men, how do you clean the glass on a fireplace, the big guns would come out. Obviously we need specialty fireplace glass cleaner. But no, they don’t sell that in the supermarket, also not in the hardware store. It’s some secret potion from god knows where the best trees are from. Of course it’s only available in a limited edition during full moon. Or something along those lines anyway. Ha!

My reality looks different. How do you clean the glass on a fireplace? With dish soap and a steel wool scourer! Yes, you read that right, dish soap and a steel wool scourer. Total cost is somewhere around the $0.30 mark. And that includes the damp cloth or paper towel you’ll use to soak up the mess. 

What we have somehow un-learned is that our home doesn’t need abrasive cleaners to be kept clean. Most of my house is cleaned with only dish soap and the occasional splash of vinegar. It’s the easiest, safest way to live. It‘s about simple cleaning methods that deliver best results. Best of all, it stops me having to worry about my kids going through the cupboards. If they lick dish soap they’ll spit it out and that’s it. Different story for that special oven cleaner that needs you to evacuate the house before using it. 

Steel wool scourers – the secret weapon to fight tough stains

Steel wool scourers have nothing to do with sheep. These silver rounds are a collection of fine steel threads, twisted together and around each other to form a small ball. With their tough and mostly non-scratch characteristics, they are the perfect companion to cut through tough grime and dirty, like burned food and grease. While steel wool scourers have been used for decades in kitchens to clean baking trays, grills and ovens, they also find a variety of application areas in the everyday home. Avoid using steel wool scourers on plastic, such as storage containers or kids toys, as plastic easily scratches up and in turn forms a breeding ground for bacteria. Hard surfaces however are perfectly safe to use steel wool on. Metal, ceramics, glass, stone and even wood all turn out perfectly clean with a little suitable cleaning solution and the help of steel wool. 

How do you clean the glass on a fireplace – step by step

Tools you will need

Bowl or bucket filled with warm, clean water

Dishwashing liquid

Steel wool scourer

Paper towels

Tips and tricks

• I generally use re-usable cloths or rags in my home. Some incredibly messy activities like cleaning the fireplace do however call for single use items to dispose of.

• Place a layer of drop cloth, paper towel or piece of newspaper directly under the door of your fireplace. They will catch any dirty and excess water running off while cleaning. 

• Use a bowl or bucket that isn’t used for food or clothes to keep the dirty water and any potential residue away from your family.

• A good habit to get into is to clean the inside of the glass on your fireplace every time you are replacing your kitchen scourer. Give the old one one last spin to clean the fireplace before replacing it for good. With a little elbow grease, this simple cleaning process keeps your wood burner looking nice and fresh for when hot fire season comes around. 

How to clean the glass on a fireplace

To get everything ready, make sure your fireplace has cooled down and can not cause you or anyone around you any harm. 

Empty any old wood ash that has piled up and may obstruct you when trying to clean the glass. 

Pull the door of your fireplace wide open. Place an old towel, an old newspaper or damp paper towel beneath the door to catch any potential runoff. You are now ready to get started.

Fill a bucket or large bowl with warm water and a splash of dishwashing liquid. You won’t need a lot, just enough for bubbles to form. 

Take your steel wool scourer and place it into the soapy water. Rip off a few pieces of paper towel to have handy. You can alternatively use a clean cloth or rag.

Take your wet steel wool and gently run it over the stained glass panel. You will likely see black water run off immediately. Take a moment to soak it up and repeat the process. 

Keep running your steel wool scourer over the glass until all of the residue has been removed. For stubborn stains, run the scourer over the patch repeatedly. Use circular motion, as well as front and backward scrubbing to target the stain from all angles. 

Continue cleaning the glass and wiping up residue until the window is clean. 

Dispose of the wet paper towels and clean out your bowl.

Light a fire, grab yourself a hot drink and some cookies or a bowl of pumpkin soup and admire your work.

 

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my fireplace glass clean again?

Cleaning the glass on your fireplace with a steel wool scourer and a mixture of warm water and a little dish soap is usually enough to get the glass to sparkle again. Make sure to have some rags or paper towels ready to soak up any of the black water running off while cleaning. It‘s an easy way to clean any type of glass and effectively remove the black film that builds up as a result of soot residue. 

What is the best cleaner for fireplace glass?

In my experience, a little dishwashing liquid and warm water usually does the trick when applied with a steel wool scourer. If your wood stove glass is beyond the point of this combination working, try to use white vinegar with a little warm water instead. Vinegar is known to break through tough stains and often achieves in moments what other, more toxic cleaning products take minutes for. I usually have a spray bottle of vinegar and water solution in the house, which is sprayed over any stain and wiped down with a microfiber cloth or clean rag. In my experience it‘s your best bet to removing any stains naturally without the use of harsh chemicals. 

Can I use Windex on my fireplace glass?

Never use ammonia based cleaners on your fireplace or other heat exposed glass. While tempting to use, the ammonia content in many commercial cleaners can leave your glass permanently damaged once the heat is turned back on. I like to avoid any commercial cleaner for regular cleaning and rely on my own simple steps for the best way to clean my wood-burning fireplace. 

Why does my fireplace glass keep turning black?

Fireplaces with glass doors often come with the challenge of keeping the glass surface clean. After months of continuous use, most glass fronts often show black streaks and other discolourations. While high heat created by burning good quality wood should not tint your glass door, most homes find themselves burning a piece of unseasoned wood sometimes, which can create excess smoke. Similarly, improper air flow causes the fire to burn slower, creating excess smoke and soot, which in turn turns the glass for of your fireplace black.