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Country Girl
23-11-2008, 10:00 PM
Can anyone help me please. We just installed a hercules stove and the glass has gone from clear to black. Is there a cleaner that I can use to get rid of the stuff that has gathered on the glass. I tried hot water, window cleaner but these didn't work. There is also a lot of tar build up on the inside of the stove. If you have any ideas please let me know. Many thanks.

Just a note to thank you all very very much for all the advice. I will give them a go. Regards County Girl

New update: Found this wonderful stuff in Tesco's its called Doktor Power, it comes in a yellow tub and I can honestly say that it is the best thing I have used so far for cleaning the glass. There is little or no elbow grease needed. It does exactly what is says on the tub. It costs about 7 euros but to me its priceless. It says on the tub that its natural ingredients, safe and non toxic so if you dont want the mess from all the other stuff I have tried give this a go. I promise you wont go back to ashes, bicarbonate of soda or all the other stuff again. DOKTOR POWER!!!!!

Update, I tried the ashes and it did a good job, tried vinegar and ashes, this wasnt too bad either, I also tried bicarbonate of soda and water (made it into a paste) this was better than the ashes (less elbow grease needed with the bicarbonate of soda that with the other two). Once again many thanks for all the advice. Country Girl

Fries-With-That
23-11-2008, 11:02 PM
HI Country girl,

One of the easiest things to use is the cleaners you get for halogen cooker tops.

Or if you don't fancy using anything as harsh as this you can make a paste from the ash in the stove and some vinegar use old newspapers to polish the glass with this mixture, then wipe off with kitchen roll.

If you're getting tar build up in the stove I'd say that you're using wet fuel and the stove is not getting enough draught to ignite it properly. Leave the vents open untill everything is burning inside. (this would also be the reason that the glass is getting so dirty.)

Regards,

Fries.

kilk
23-11-2008, 11:11 PM
hi country girl,
to add to fries advice.. mr muscle oven cleaner - the bottle with a trigger- works good too. it helps tho to take off doors and spray the glass only, if you spray the cast iron surround it will colour it so be careful. leave for about an hour and wash off with water and a brush. repeat if necessary. use gloves too.

ireneo
23-11-2008, 11:34 PM
The only way to clean it sounds messy but brilliant. Dampen a sheet of newspaper, dip it in your ashes and wipe, then clean of with a damp cloth and it will look as it did when you bought it. I do it once a week and even have my houseproud mother in law doing hers with it now and believe me, if she swears by a job that sounds that messy, it must be good
Do it! You will be amazed
All the best
Irene

Bibi
23-11-2008, 11:37 PM
Hi Country Girl.... Try a thick paste of Breadsoda & Water. Leave on for about 10 mins & wash with warm water.You may need to repeat. Should do the trick & very kind to stove & environment.

Good Luck
Bibi

Bettybooboopbedoop
23-11-2008, 11:44 PM
My sister swears by Fairy Power Spray. She uses this on her stove all the time and says the glass comes up like new. You will get this in any supermarket.

smokeyeyes
24-11-2008, 01:31 AM
Hi Country Girl, had one of these for many years and i used to clean using a cream cleanser on a scrubbing kitchen pad barely moistened with water, then wipe clean with newspapers. Just be careful when scrubbing if the glass are indivual strips, keep your hand at the back to support while scrubbing. Astonish cream cleanser also works, you can buy this in many €2 shops.

summersun
24-11-2008, 09:07 PM
HI Country Girl,

We also had one of these wonderful stoves put in and i find the best thing to clean the glass is neat brown vinegar when the glass is warm or hot, use a green scourer and it comes off as easy as anything .....the black stuff is (according to my husband creosote... caused by burning wood that hasnt been seasoned, when we get this he turns the stove up to the highest temperature and it just burns off from inside the stove, (but not from inside the chimney etc that will need to be cleaned

Take care
Summersun

4eyes
24-11-2008, 10:00 PM
Astonish cream cleaner in a tub is excellent no mess it costs about E3 or so

John Kieran
25-11-2008, 01:22 PM
Can I just ask if the above advice is possibel for an insert stove [small one] as well?

Thanks

Kieran

naomi04
25-11-2008, 01:57 PM
use zip soot reducer in the fire to help keep stove and flue clear of soot build up

Fizzywitch
25-11-2008, 02:43 PM
I spray a diluted vinegar/water on the glass (when cold) clean off with scrunched up newspaper and buff with kitchen roll.
Put newspaper on the floor to catch soot as when it gets wet it is awful to clean up!
Also like Bibi said with the bread soda and water paste and put a squirt of washing up liquid in there for good measure :-)
Failing all those if it is REALLY BAD, try a damp sponge/panscrub with 'biolgical' soap powder and water, that can take the non stick coating off pans!

Country Girl
27-11-2008, 12:20 PM
Thank you all so very much for the advice. I really appreciate all the help. I have tried the ash and damp newspaper, it took some of the black off but not all. I am going to try the ash/vinegar next. Then I will try the baking soda etc. I Will let you know the results. Once again many many thanks. Country Girl

Bettybooboopbedoop
14-12-2008, 12:28 AM
Thanks for the feedback, i am going to get my sister to use the bicarbonate paste instead of the fairy spray. Much more eco friendly and probably a lot cheaper. Hope she listens lol

lisaphelan
16-12-2008, 03:32 PM
my mum has a massive stove( it heats a 60ft long shead) its amazing, heats the place up so much we have to be careful we dont put too much turf on! (and thers no radiators either) the only reason the glass on the stove or wherever gets black is because of the air circulation, on my mums one anyway ther is a dampener at the back and air vents at the front to open and close, it is the smoke that makes the glass black, and if you control this first you can clearly see your fire burning all day, if however your father comes along and tries to park his arse on the stove with his foot on the glass or uses the dampeners wrong or leaves the door open too long the glass goes black,.....anyway my mum uses damp kitchen paper-that's all- you can take it off quite easily, then again she does it the next day ie. thers never been a build up of black stuff, she would do it in the morning when the stove is cool. x

nanonano
17-12-2008, 02:38 PM
A brillo pad. You don't need any elbow greese. Just a wet brillo pad and kitchen towel to wipe dry.