Do you enjoy the serenity of watching your fireplace while having a hot drink in hand? It’s such a cozy feeling that many people appreciate.
Has your fireplace glass gone dirty? The dirty fireplace glass can look awful in the morning, and you won’t be able to enjoy the fire at night.
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You don’t need to worry! In today’s article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to clean fireplace glass. Let’s dive in.
How to Clean Fireplace Glass?
Cleaning fireplace glass is an easy process. It doesn’t require any special skills. The following steps will guide you through the process:
Step 1: Preparing for the Cleaning Process
First and foremost, before you start cleaning your fireplace glass, you must ensure that the glass isn’t hot. The fireplace glass can remain hot after the fire is put out.
Additionally, there might be some embers burning beneath the dying fire. So, it’s best if you don’t start the cleaning process for at least one day after the fire has been put out.
If you want to check if the glass is still hot, don’t touch it with your bare hands. Instead, slightly wet a towel with tap water and place it on the glass for 30 seconds, then remove it. If it’s warm, that means your fireplace glass is still hot.
Preparing the area around the fireplace is a good idea to avoid unwanted stains. You’ll need to place a drop cloth or a towel beneath the glass.
Before starting the cleaning process, you should also wear protective gloves, glasses, and a face mask. Gloves are essential to protect your hands during cleaning because ashes from the fireplace might harm some people.
Step 2: Gather the Tools You’ll Need
Most of the materials you need are lying around in your household. Here’s a roundup:
-Cleaning solution
-A bucket of tap water
-Paper towels
-Drop cloth
-An old piece of cloth or a black and white newspaper
-Fireplace glass removal tools
Step 3: Removing the Glass
If you can completely remove the glass from the fireplace, the cleaning process will be much easier and more efficient. You can then take your glass outside to your garage or garden to clean it thoroughly.
However, you need to be extra careful when you remove the glass. You’ll also need to lay the glass flat on a towel or drop cloth to avoid any accidental stains.
If you can’t remove the glass, you can just place a drop cloth or a towel beneath it while working.
Step 4: Choosing the Right Cleaner
Depending on the amount of built-up haze and dirt, you can determine the solution you’ll need to clean the fireplace glass.
Tap water is usually enough to clean a slightly dirty glass. A DIY solution of white vinegar and water is suitable for moderately dirty fireplace glass.
On the other hand, a filthy fireplace glass with built-up charcoal and soot will require a heavy-duty cleaning solution or a fireplace glass cleaner to clean.
Step 5: Cleaning the Fireplace Glass
First, you need to dip the piece of cloth or a crumbled page from the newspaper in tap water.
Then, you can dip the wet newspaper in a small amount of ash from your fireplace. As odd as it may sound, the ash from your fireplace can make cleaning easier. Wood ash is an overall good cleaning material.
After that, start scrubbing and rubbing the surface of the glass in a circular motion to loosen the soot.
Step 6: Repeat the Process
If you can’t get rid of the built-up charcoal and soot, don’t worry. You usually need to repeat the process a couple of times to clean the fireplace glass thoroughly.
You can also use a fireplace glass cleaner or heavy-duty cleaner if tap water or the vinegar/water mixture isn’t doing the job. Remember to read the instructions label on any commercial cleaning solution you buy.
Some cleaning solutions need to be sprayed at least 30 minutes before you start the cleaning process. They need some time to loosen up the dirt on your fireplace glass.
Step 7: Rinse the Fireplace Glass
After you’ve cleaned all the charcoal, use tap water to rinse the remaining dirt and cleaning solution from your glass. Now, you can enjoy the amazing view of your fireplace once again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have a question in mind? Here are some frequently asked questions regarding how to clean fireplace glass:
Can you use a razor to remove dirt from the fireplace glass?
You should never use a razor to clean the fireplace glass. In most cases, you’ll end up with permanent scratches on your glass that can ruin the incredible view of the burning fire. Additionally, you can injure yourself.
Why do people use ash as a cleaner?
People have been using ash to clean glass for years. Despite many commercial pastes available in the market, people still prefer to use ash.
This is most probably because ash is a natural, free cleaning material, and it’s available in your house. So, people use it to clean glass everywhere around the house. Some people even save the ash and create their own glass cleaning paste.
How often do you need to clean the fireplace glass?
The general rule of thumb is to clean the fireplace glass once a week in winter. Frequent cleaning of the fireplace glass can make the cleaning process much easier, as soot and charcoal won’t build up on it.
In Conclusion
Cleaning the fireplace glass is an easy process that anyone can do. You just need to prepare the area where you’ll be cleaning by placing a drop cloth. It’s best if you remove the glass and take it outside to clean it. However, cleaning it in place will work too.
Then, dampen a piece of old newspaper in a cleaning mixture and start rubbing the glass until it’s squeaky clean. After that, rinse the glass and reinstall it in the fireplace.
Finally, you can enjoy the peaceful, cozy view of your fireplace once again!
We have discussed how you can clean fire place stone and fireplace inserts as well.
