How to Clean a Gas Fireplace, Glass Front?

[Jeff Erbele]

If you have a gas fireplace, how do you clean the glass?
For that matter, once you remove the glass, how do you remove the soot / dust / dirt / grime from the flat black sheet metal box?

I don't want to hear about natural gas is a clean fuel and should not produce soot. Carbon fuels are made of that, thus produce soot and our fireplace has some in the worst place; in view.

Our gase fireplace is properly adjusted. My task is to clean it for listing, showing and sale at the end of this heating season

[John Coloccia]

Buy fireplace glass cleaner and follow the directions. No joke, there exists such a thing.

I used to use it all the time on my insert before I learned to make fires quick, and burn them how. I haven't used it in 5 years and my glass is still clean, now. If you burn hot enough, everything goes up the chimney and out of the house, and everything stays clean.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Usually windex works fine if you leave it on 15-20 minutes. If that doesn't, oven cleaner and then windex to get off the smears from the oven cleaner. I'll bet John's solution works great, but I sure haven't seen any around here.

[Jeff Erbele]

Buy fireplace glass cleaner and follow the directions. No joke, there exists such a thing.

I used to use it all the time on my insert before I learned to make fires quick, and burn them how. I haven't used it in 5 years and my glass is still clean, now. If you burn hot enough, everything goes up the chimney and out of the house, and everything stays clean.

John,

What is "it"?
The brand name and, manufacturer that worked for you?

RE: I used to use it all the time on my insert before I learned to make fires quick, and burn them how.
Could you please clarify:
".... before I learned to make fires quick, and burn them how."

Your second sentence makes no sense and is non-applicable. An answer I specifically was not seeking.
How hot our gas fireplace burns, is a rather really narrow setting; based on a gas valve.
It has nothing to do with wood and the glass is already with soot; that which I want to remove.

I've tried the basic and best glass cleaners and much more, including Windex, 409, Simple Green, DOW Oven Cleaner, Scrubbing Bubbles tub & shower cleaner, Dawn Dish Soap, Comet, Bon Ami, Bar Keepers Friend, WD-40; JB-80-"twice as good", Goo Gone, Crest Tooth Paste, full strength bleach, 5% peroxide, baking soda, vinegar, those things including basic ingredients, simple, and formulated, proprietary chemistry, liquids, active foam products, dissolved abrasive solids, petroleum distillates, perhaps more, and too some degree my persistence with a bit of patience.
Yet I learned of a simple and effective solution.
That is what I seek.

Wholly crap, my house sounds like a chemical dump!
The good news is we don't use a lot and preparing to move in 3-5 months, we already Free-Cycled and donated those things we rarely use or do not want.

[Jeff Erbele]

Bill, At the end of this heating season, we'll be listing our present house for sale and I'll try it and all the normal stuff again.
I understand, I was composing a response to John while you posted; so you had no idea I've already tried a variety of products and methods.

I've tried all the normal stuff, add two more; Costco / Sam's Club propriety industrial cleaners. So far I've found nothing that works well.
I've fiddled with various brushes, single edge razor blades and various Scotch-Britte pads, abrasives usually not recommend on glass or with caution.

BOTTOM LINE:
I am looking for a solution from those with the same problem, soot on the glass, of a glass covered fireplace.
Been there - Done that - sort of advice - Do it on some routine.

Individually and collectively at SMC - Creekers so far,
Thank you for your advice and trying to help
I understand my criteria may be tough to solve; as I too have tried in earnest without a good solution

[John Coloccia]

I use this:

http://www.amazon.com/Rutland-Hearth-Grill-Conditioning-Cleaner/dp/B00120NMNY%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q %26tag%3Dduckduckgo-d-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165 953%26creativeASIN%3DB00120NMNY



RE: I used to use it all the time on my insert before I learned to make fires quick, and burn them how.
Could you please clarify:
".... before I learned to make fires quick, and burn them how."

Your second sentence makes no sense and is non-applicable. An answer I specifically was not seeking.

Burn them "hot", not how. It's applicable to the other tens of thousands of members that might read this thread with the same problems that are burning wood.

[John Lanciani]

On my pellet stove I use glass cooktop cleaner. Easy to get at the supermarket and fast and easy to use.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I used the Rutland product in the Amazon link on my gas fireplace glass front. It took two applications, but it worked very well.

[Brian Elfert]

I recently listed my house for sale. I simply used regular old glass cleaner on my gas fireplace glass front and it got the black layer off the glass. I didn't bother cleaning the sheet metal box as it looked fine.

[Steve Jenkins]

Slight hijack
Not sure about gas but for woodburning fireplace take wet paper towel and dip in the ashes and use that to scrub the glass.
Works great. Wipe after with a clean damp paper towl then dry

[Mike Lassiter]

Nothing to contribute as it seems you have tired about everything imaginable. I would think some of the things you have tired could actually etch the glass and aggravate cleaning the soot off. Smooth glass I know can be a pain ( I have one like your I think - and burn wood in it) to clean. It would make seems that anything that would slightly etch the glass surface would give the baked on soot something to grip to and become especially hard to remove.

[Kev Williams]

Two things I didn't see listed you might try: Mineral spirits and naptha. Although they may be part of your 'petroleum distillate' aresnel...

Another product I didn't see listed: oven cleaner.

Could well be that the heat has fused the combustion products to the glass, in which case, new glass is about the only answer...

[David Helm]

Usually windex works fine if you leave it on 15-20 minutes. If that doesn't, oven cleaner and then windex to get off the smears from the oven cleaner. I'll bet John's solution works great, but I sure haven't seen any around here.

Whatever you do, do not use Windex or any other ammonia based cleaner. The heat from the fireplace will permanently etch the glass. As another poster said, buy fireplace glass cleaner. It only costs about $8 and will clean the glass without causing other problems.

[Mark Patoka]

I use the Rutlands on our wood fireplace insert and it does a great job. The first couple times it seemed to take a couple applications and lots of elbow grease to get some really burned in spots clear but now it seems I can take a damp papertowel and it usually wipes it right up.

My Home Depot sells the Rutlands on clearance in Jan/Feb when they rotate out their winter and fireplace displays for spring.

[Jeff Erbele]

Normally I wouldn't fret over it as I am now. If it is reasonably clean at the end of each heating it's good enough as the fire box behind it is flat black. Now it's one of those details that help spiff up the house, showing better.

As far as products etching the glass, I've always removed the glass, working on the main problem on the fire side, working on it at ambient house temperatures, always fully washed it with Dawn dish soap, after trying any other cleaning product and fully rinsed and dried the glass when done. I've made every reasonable attempt to remove any residue. If there were any etching going, it is for maybe 10-30 minutes while a product was allowed to soak - work on removing the soot.
I've not noticed any etching or pitting of the glass, but in daylight at the correct viewing angle I can definitely see a layer of soot, as well as feel it where it transitions between areas that have successfully been cleaned and the problem areas needing work.

It is very possible that the heat has fused the combustion by-products to the glass. It's stubborn enough that the concept seems reasonable.

I'll try one of the recommended special purpose products designed for the task. Hopefully it will solve the problem.

If it doesn't, my options are call it good enough or price a replacement. I have no idea but suspect a replacement might be expensive and not be worth it in returns; spending more than I would gain.

Thanks for all of your input so far; even those things that apply to wood-burners or off-topic; it may help someone else.

[Jeff Erbele]

I use this:

http://www.amazon.com/Rutland-Hearth-Grill-Conditioning-Cleaner/dp/B00120NMNY%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q %26tag%3Dduckduckgo-d-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165 953%26creativeASIN%3DB00120NMNY



Burn them "hot", not how. It's applicable to the other tens of thousands of members that might read this thread with the same problems that are burning wood.

Thanks for clarifying and the link. That makes sense and understood. :)

[Brad Adams]

The Rutland cleaner is the best I have used. The fireplace is not properly adjusted if it has soot on the glass or in the firebox.

[Bob Rufener]

We have a wood burning fireplace and I have always used ammonia and water with good results.

[Dan Hintz]

Yep, Rutland user here, as well... received an 8 oz. bottle with the pellet stove 4 years ago and it's still half full.

[Bill Cunningham]

Brasso... Smear it on, wait for 5 min. then wipe it off.. The tougher stuff will come off with a razor blade scraper.. I have used Brasso on wood burning fireplaces, pellet and corn stoves.. It takes the burned on black of the tempered fireplace glass..

[Glenn Kramer]

White vinegar. Cheap, natural, no chemicals and it works!

[Jeff Erbele]

Nothing to contribute as it seems you have tired about everything imaginable. I would think some of the things you have tired could actually etch the glass and aggravate cleaning the soot off. Smooth glass I know can be a pain ( I have one like your I think - and burn wood in it) to clean. It would make seems that anything that would slightly etch the glass surface would give the baked on soot something to grip to and become especially hard to remove.

I don't know what you have but if you burn wood, yours is not the same. Mine is a Heat & Glo, natural gas fired.
Years ago in a previous house I had an Earth Stove (brand), a wood burner. That had a fire brick liner and much thicker steel.
The tin box around this gas fire place is maybe as thick as a tin can. Trying to burn wood in it would be a disaster and winner of the Darwin Award for the decade :eek:

Understood about etching the glass. I think it is more of a matter of baked-on build up. Last time I cleaned it, I made substantial progress but not perfection before I called it good enough because the progress made came with a lot of time and effort. It sounds like the Creekers' suggested a variety of purpose formulated products that work, plus a few alternatives that may work too.

[Wade Lippman]

My wood burning stove cautions not to clean the glass; normal operation will keep it clean. And it does.

I guess I would ask the manufacturer.