Tips on cleaning a wood-burning stove

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The chances are you installed a wood-burning stove either because you like the aesthetics or to save you money on your heating bills. For either of those reasons, cleaning is a vital part of ensuring you continue to reap the benefits of your stove.

Not only does regular cleaning keep your stove in immaculate condition, it also ensures that it continues to perform as efficiently as possible.

It’s not really possible to ‘over clean’ your stove. As a bare minimum you should give your stove a thorough clean every three months.

Here are a few tips on the cleaning process:

• Do not clean a hot stove. Always let your stove cool before starting to clean it.
• Start your cleaning by removing the baffle, grate, ashpan and firebricks. Always consult your user manual first to check that it’s OK to remove these parts and to get instructions on the best way to remove them.
• You can then vacuum any ash from inside your stove.
• Clean any deposits from the stove’s internal surfaces and the grate with a wire brush and scraper as required.
• Next, clean the firebricks. A gentler approach is needed, so use a soft brush.
• If necessary, clean the glass of your stove. Most of our stoves are fitted with an airwash system which keeps soot away from the glass. Some discolouring may happen over time. You can use a specialist stove glass cleaner or newspaper dipped in vinegar to clean your glass. Never use an abrasive cloth or substance to clean the glass.
• Re-fit the cleaned baffle, grate and firebricks inside your stove.

Gr8fires.co.uk stocks a range of cleaning products to help you keep your stove in pristine condition, including companion sets, glass cleaner and stove paint.

While you’re cleaning your stove is a good time to do some basic maintenance checks too. Find out more on giving your stove a check-up.