How to clean your log burner

A dirty wood burner can potentially make your room feel messy, but not only this, keeping it clean will make it more efficient and can increase the lifetime of your stove, saving you money in the long term.

Cleaning the interior of your wood burner:

Always make sure that you wait for the inside of your wood burner to cool completely before you empty the ash, and wear protective gloves.

With your gloves on, use a small spade to move the leftover ash from the fire into a metal ash container, or a metal bucket.

With the ashes in the bucket, take it to a safe place outdoors and keep it contained there. A safe place generally means away from any bushes, trees or other materials that might catch fire. After 24 hours you can then dispose of your ash by using it in your garden alongside compost or dispose of how you normally would.

Cleaning the glass door:

One clever, all-natural way to clean your wood burner glass is to use a newspaper or paper towel and leftover ash from your fire. Take a damp paper towel or newspaper and dip it into your leftover ashes. Wipe the glass in a circular motion to loosen caked-on soot. Repeat several times or until the soot is lifted. All you then need is a piece of kitchen roll to wipe away the excess moisture from the glass.

Cleaning the exterior of your wood burner:

This is generally quite a simple job and can be easily managed with a standard hoover and using any soft brush attachments to remove traces of dust or ash. If you can do this quite regularly it will prevent any build-up that might potentially damage the exterior of your wood burner.

Never use a damp cloth on the exterior of your wood burner! Over time, this can cause rust.

Sweeping your chimney:

The final, but probably the most important step is making sure you get your chimney swept regularly. This is to prevent dangerous chimney fires and keep your wood burner in its best working order. You should be done by a HETAS approved sweep to make sure it’s done properly. You can read more about this in our previous blog here.

If you have any questions about looking after your wood burner or fireplace, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here.