Glass doors on wood burner - help!

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Moved into house with wood burner - lovely etc. I am currently using a razor blade type scraper approx every two weeks to clean the doors as otherwise you can't see the bloody fire! But I'm wondering if I'm missing something - if I leave it does it somehow carbonise and just flake off? Is there something I can put on the glass to prevent the soot from sticking to it? Any suggestions welcome!

Wet newspaper dipped in the ashes will clean it.

Yes wet newspaper scrunched in a ball. This will smear loads. Then use dried scrunched up paper.

Our glass is worse if we use logs which aren’t dry enough.

Another vote for wet newspaper and ash, you can also get specialist cleaning liquid for the glass.

My SIL had a woodburner installed and regrets it. Looks bad when the glass is dirty and too high maintenance to keep clean. You need to like a rustic look to appreciate one.

I would also see if you can find a manual for the type of burner. Some of them have a setting for the vents which will 'airwash' the glass which should help prevent this kind of build up.

Another vote for slightly damp newspaper and ash. The ash is a mild abrasive and the newspaper should buff the glass and make it shine

We had the same issue when we moved. The door would become totally obscured by soot every time we used it. I found the instructions online and discovered that it was meant to be self cleaning!

I think the problem was that we had been too timid with it and kept the flames really low. By adjusting the top and bottom vents slightly and letting it burn more vigorously our door now stays fairly clean. Once in a while I use a special spray (from the local ironmongers) to remove the bit of soot that builds up around the edge of the door.

I just use a baby wipe on it every few days when I empty the ash. If it really builds up use a wire scrubby thing you buy in the supermarkets for cleaning heavy duty pans.

I wonder if you are burning at too low a heat.

Do you have a thermometer on the stove. If so it will tell you when the temperature is in the optimal range and when it is too low and producing carbon. The carbon will not only occlude your glass but also cause lots of soot in the chimney.

You can easily buy a Wood Burner thermometer and just fix it to the stove pipe.

Agree with the newspaper and ash for cleaning. Also as said try and find a manual because changing the airflow can help to keep the glass clean. Also only use dry logs, damp ones won't help

Yep, as PPs have said, get a handful of scrunched-up newspaper, dip it in water, then the ash, then scrub the glass. It's miraculous.

When you start the fire, get it hot and keep it hot with lots of airflow until its fully established. Like really raging hot, for a while, and this will get the whole thing able to send the brown stuff up the chimney instead of settling on the glass. And as above, ash and newspaper will clean the glass for you.

Dirty glass means the fire isn't burning hot enough and you're not getting efficient combustion.

baby wipes work for recent soot marks, but for really hardened, accreted stuff you need the tub of 'wood burning stove cleaner' from Lakeland. Smear it on, wipe it off - takes 2 mins and even the oldest soot comes off like a dream!

Try this OP!

Ideal for what you need and makes life very easy.

£4.99 from Lakeland.

www.amazon.co.uk/Lakeland-Burning-Stove-Hearth-Cleaner/dp/B00FGOY6DW/ref=sr_1_19?keywords=fireplace+glass+cleaner&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1549897219&sr=8-19

We use hobbrite. Then wipe with a cloth

Another vote for newspaper and ash, but you can also get a specific product that cleans it, which we use once in a while.

Damp j-cloth dipped in ash works a treat

I've never bought specialist cleaners and just used to wipe ours with vinegar. It cleaned the marks off straight away, no elbow grease required.
We have open fires in our current house. I miss the wood burner.

Mr muscle I've cleaner is fab. Spray on 5 Mon later wipe with kitchen roll, the glass will be spotless with no effort !

Stupid auto correct. Mr muscle oven cleaner!

When was the chimney last swept? If it's been a while, there may not be enough of a draught for the fire to burn properly. I used to be a chimney sweep and we saw this a lot.

It's a new house so the chimney's not been swept yet it's still driving me mad - I'm not sure how we could let it burn hotter it's ferocious!

Another one for newspaper in the ashes!

If you use newspaper and ashes make sure the ashes are only from wood. Coal ashes will scratch your glass.