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How to Clean Fireplace Glass Unbelievable! (Naturally and for FREE)

Today I’m going to blow your mind with how to clean fireplace glass naturally and for free! Not only am I going to blow your mind, but I’m going to show you how the best way to clean fireplace glass in minutes with little effort instead of frustratingly long hours of scrubbing the window.

This method was shown to me by friends, and when he told me, I just looked at him in disbelief because it seemed so ridiculous. But after I tried it once and it worked! Since then it’s the only way I have cleaned the inside of my fireplace door for the past 10 years.

Best of all it hasn’t cost me a penny. There is no need for a spray bottle, or white vinegar (you should never use this on fireplace glass doors , you are just using the ash from the fireplace and a few other things.

 

What you will need to clean soot off the glass of a fireplace?

This is one of the great house cleaning tips.

For this DIY fireplace door cleaning project you will need a few things. This is by far the best way to clean fireplace glass doors that I have ever seen. Here is what you will need to clean the fireplace glass.

  • Bowl of warm tap water (I use a glass bowl with 2-3 cups of water)
  • Newspaper
  • Paper towel
  • Cold ash from the fireplace
  • Drop cloth or extra newspaper

That’s it. All things you have in your house right now. Really you could use newspaper and ash but the tap water helps it spread and I’ve found the paper towel easier to remove the streaks. No ammonia, no wire brushes or vinegar solutions. This is by far the easiest homemade wood stove glass cleaner you will ever see!

 

How do you clean the glass door on a wood burning fireplace?

Here are the steps for how to clean your fireplace glass doors naturally and for free (if you want a list of house cleaning supplies you can get this checklist). Before you start make sure the ashes or cold. I like to give it a day since I last had a fire, because I’m working with newspaper and want to make sure there is no chance of burning myself.

 

Step 1 : Layout newspaper

Open the glass door and lay down newspaper. This will be a little messy and we don’t want any drippings to land on the hearth.

cleaning fireplace glass

Layout newspaper to catch any drips

 

Step 2:  Get a Bowl of Water

Get your bowl of warm water and dip the newspaper into it. Then dip it into the cold leftover ash of the fireplace (you can see the video below for a visual)

cleaning fireplace glass bowl of water

Get some water and place it on the newspaper

Step 3: Get the Newspaper Ready

Rub the wet newspaper and ash on the inside of the glass door of the fireplace.

Warning: it’s going to look worse before it gets better.

 

Step 4: Coat with Water and Ash

Use the water and ash mixture to scrub off the build up on the door. You will start to see if come off, rub it in a circular motion and keep dipping the newspaper into the water and then the ash to really cover it.

Cleaning Fireplace Glass with newspaper and ash

The newspaper and ash mixed in the water removes the build up on the fireplace

Make sure to scrub in a circular motion and cover the whole glass. I told you it would get worse before it gets cleaner.

Cover the Fireplace Glass to clean it

Make sure you get into the corners when you clean the glass.

Step 4: Wipe off the residue to clean the glass

Once the fireplace glass door has been cleaned you can get your paper towel to remove the ash and water mixture.

diy fireplace glass cleaner

Remove the build up with a paper towel.

Step 6 Final Touches To Cleaning Fireplace Glass

Finally, get a clean piece of newspaper, crumple it up and use it to do a final clean on the inside of the doors to get rid of any streaks or film that still might be there.

homemade fireplace glass cleaner

Here’s the before and after for the natural fireplace glass cleaner

All in it took me under 5 minutes to clean this.

before and after fireplace glass cleaner

 

What is on my wood fireplace door?

It’s probably best you know how a fireplace door gets this dirty. If you don’t care, you can skip to the next part.

Essentially the crusty black stuff on the inside of your fireplace door is layers of soot and creosote. Because I’m not a scientist (or play one on TV) here is what I could find about why this black stuff shows up.

As wood burns slowly it gives off smoke, that smoke contains a substance that creates creosote. The main cause of this is wet or unseasoned wood. This smoke will build up with soot on the glass door of your wood fireplace and make it a mess. (thanks to M.U. for this info).

Click here to get the weekly cleaning schedule we use it’s a free printable.

How to remove creosote from glass fireplace doors?

Over time the soot and creosote build up on your glass door and it leaves your fireplace looking like the face of the chimney sweeper from Mary Poppins (I want to say his name was Burt….).

When your fireplace is a focal point a dirty glass door just gives off a dingy vibe. The easiest way to get your fireplace looking nice is to clean it.

And the most cost effective way to clean your fireplace is by using the cold leftover ash in the fireplace and some water. This is the easiest way to clean black residue off fireplace glass too, just in case you were wondering.

 

Wood fireplace glass cleaner

If all of this felt like a hard way to do it (it’s really not, but I get that playing with water and ash isn’t everyone’s favorite past time) then you can also buy several good glass fireplace door cleaners that will do the trick. Here are a few of them.

 

Which fireplace place glass doors cleaner is best?

If you are searching through the Amazon and wondering which product to buy (there are quite a few). I would like to help by narrowing the choices down for you.

This one checks all the boxes for me. It has the benefit of Amazon Prime free shipping. It has over 800 ratings and an average of over 4.6 stars. If you see it for under $10 you have a good price.


Click here to buy it now!

Looking for other cleaning ideas? Get our house cleaning checklist printable, it’s a free printable and get our house cleaning supplies list too!

Final thoughts on DIY Fireplace glass cleaner

This cleaning method is super easy, fast and cost you nothing. It may be the best way to clean fireplace glass that I have ever seen. If you were wondering how to clean fireplace glass now you know what to do give it a try, you will be so pleased it works!

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