Cleaning the Glass on a Woodburner for that Winter Glow - Or Why, Once Again, the Solution is in the Problem...

Nothing creates an festive winter atmosphere like a roaring fire so we've been using our new woodburner full on over the Xmas period. Along with the usual tasks of clearing out the ash and bringing in the logs, there is of course, the daily chore of cleaning the glass. Being somewhat challenged in the arm power department, this is not a chore I really relish so I've been trawling the net for a low-energy (both in the eco-friendly and the physical sense) method of cleaning the glass.

There seem to be two main schools of thought on the subject - one being vinegar and the other using a damp, non-abrasive scourer dipped in the ash itself to clean the glass. Now being a fan of the permaculture principle that the solution to a problem is often contained in the problem itself I have been opting for the latter, whilst my other half leans to the vinegar option. However, though both do get the glass clean, both also require a lot of that precious ingredient: Elbow Grease.

Since my resolution for 2010 is to reap optimum result from minimum effort, I decided to try combining both these techniques by adding a bit of vinegar to the hot water I use with the ash...And hey presto, really clean glass with just a feeble little rub of the scourer! Just goes to show that the solution really does often lie in the problem...plus a bit of creative experiment! Makes me wonder what other things this principle can be applied to...Suggestions welcome!

Please note: Its best to wear thick rubber gloves when doing this chore as the ash can really dry your hands. Its also much easier if you do it every day than if you let the resin build up. Once you have cleared the resin, dry the glass with newspaper or brown paper.


-- Posted from my inherited iPod Touch