Fireplace Glass Doors: Keeping the Ashes At Bay
Keep your fireplace glass doors looking as good as new with these cleaning tips
Come winter time,
everyone loves to hangout in a warm room, and there's no denying that
a gas fireplace is one of the furnishings at home that can provide
such a convenience. All too often, natural gas fireplaces are fitted
with glass doors, which are noted for their functionality and
aesthetics. These hardworking features help contain the ashes, smoke
and sparks into the fireplace, prevents cold air from entering a
room, and decrease the potential of fire and injury.
After enduring
months or years of searing-hot blazes, however, fireplace glass doors
collect stains from the ashes and soot coming from the fire. This in
turn makes them look dingy and can also make the entire fireplace
appear entirely shabby. So before the wood-burning season begins, you
need to examine your fireplace glass doors and take an hour or two to
do some elbow greasing to clean it up and refresh its look. Below are
some cleaning tips you can follow to keep your fireplace glass doors
spic and span.
Tackling the cleaning job with commercial cleaners
Probably the easiest solution to your fireplace glass doors' carbon
or other gunk buildup is for you to use commercial cleaners. While
you might want to resort to the usual glass cleaners that you see in
your local store, take note that they are no-match for the soot that
have collected on your fireplace doors. So it is your best bet to
settle with products that are especially formulated to clean
carbon-rich stains, and there are numerous brands from which you
could choose from. More often than not, these commercial cleaners
have a paste-like texture and work well with plain paper towels or a
clean cloth. Here is a great fireplace cleaner that has everything you need.
Before applying the cleaner, try vacuuming the glass doors' surfaces
first using an ash vacuum to remove loose soot and other particles on
the glasses. After which, apply the cleaner to the towel following
the manufacturer's recommended amount. Depending on the cleaner that
you choose, it might be necessary that you use it on a damp cloth, so
make sure that you read the label before use. Rub it over the stained
areas on your fireplace glass doors, especially the corners, with a
gentle pressure and let it sit for awhile. When all stains are
removed, wipe the glasses with a clean cloth.
Remember, when cleaning a new section on the glasses, make sure that
you use a clean area of the cloth or better yet a new paper towel so
that the carbon residue will not be transferred onto the surfaces
that you are going to clean. It is also wise to wear rubber gloves
when cleaning since some commercial cleaners contain strong
properties that can be harmful to the skin.
Combating ashes with ashes
Although a commercial cleaner can be effective in removing
carbon-rich soot on fireplace glass doors and does not necessarily
require extraneous amount of effort on your part, the strong odor as
well as its chemical properties might put you off. So if you are not
too keen about using a commercial cleaner, a cheap and great
alternative that you can use are several pieces of damp old
newspapers dipped in ashes. Yes, you read that right, ashes. And they
are truly effective in removing the build up on your fireplace glass
doors, though their use may require a bit more elbow greasing.
Start by removing loose dirt on the glasses of your fireplace doors.
Dampen the newspapers with water and dip them into the ashes. Gently
rub the newspapers on the stained areas until the carbon deposits are
removed. Then wipe the glasses with a clean cloth.
If it's taking you a little while to remove the baked soot, it might
be useful if you utilize a flat razor blade to loosen up the stubborn
deposits. Then, rub the ashes on the surfaces again. For a shiny
finish, spray both the interior and exterior of your glass doors with
a mixture of water and vinegar, then pat them with a dry cloth.
Additional cleaning tips
Take note that not all fireplace glass doors are created alike.
Hence, some might be easier to clean, while other may require time
and effort to completely remove the stains. However, there are a few
cleaning tips that can truly make the task a bit easier regardless of
the type of glass fireplace door you are using.
First is that you should regularly clean the doors so that the soot
will not buildup on the glasses. During winter, it is your best bet
to clean the doors at least once every two weeks to maintain the
cleanliness and aesthetics of your fireplace glass doors. Another tip
is for you to remove the glasses of the doors, as this will let you
clean all the corners including the hidden areas in the frames. Also,
do not forget to let the doors cool down before cleaning because hot
glasses can be dangerous not to mention that they can burn your
hands. If you are really busy, however, and you cannot spend too much
time cleaning, it might be a good decision to opt for tinted
fireplace glass doors which are easier to clean since the tint helps
avoid soot from baking onto the glasses.
GUEST POST BY: Robert Kirk RFK Solutions Ltd
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May I also suggest a beautiful inexpensive Fireplace Glass Door?
