We all know how cool wood burning stoves look in our homes, and as were now approaching the wintertime in England, many people are looking for less complicated ways of keeping their properties warm throughout the cold months. So if you’ve recently bought a stove for that purpose, you probably want to know how to keep it clean and fresh, right?
Though you might think the whole process is simple, in truth it requires quite a lot of thought because if you fail or forget to clean one area the lifespan of your new stove will be drastically decreased. This is the same whether you’ve opted for a traditional wood burning model or a multi fuel stove.
Before You Start Cleaning
There’s quite a few things you can do to stop your stove getting too dirty in the first place. For example, try to empty the ashes at least once per day whilst you’re using the stove as this will let the proper level of airflow in, which will result in less soot gathering on the inside. Also, make sure you don’t use coal or unseasoned wood unless you’re willing to do some serious cleaning as both of these materials will cause an increase in smoke, smell, and a far greater build-up of soot.
Clean The Inside Thoroughly
It’s important that you spend some time cleaning the inside at least once every two weeks as this will keep your stove as fresh as possible. You’re bound to get a build-up of soot over time, but if your stove is completely new the best way of keeping it looking that way is by staying on top of your cleaning routine.
Make sure your stove is completely cold before beginning any cleaning job. Then simply pick up some cloths or sponges from your local supply store and give it a good scrub. For really stubborn build-ups you may need to use a wire scourer or something similar, so bear this in mind if you’re having trouble removing the soot.
Make The Glass Shiney
Remember how the glass on your stove looked when your stove first arrived? Well, it’s more than possible to make it look like this again. Glass takes a long time to stain, so all you should need to do is give it a quick wipe and it should come up sparkling. However, if you haven’t been cleaning it as often as you should have done, and you’ve got a thick layer of soot on the inside of the glass, you may need to use a scraper or something more substantial to shift it.
Hopefully now your stove should be looking as bright and fresh as the day it was delivered. Just remember that the job of cleaning any wood-burning or gas stove is made much easier if you keep on top of things. The entire task should take no longer than ten minutes if you do it once every week.
Now all you need is to find a good chimney sweep!
