I've been using cedar for kindling this season, and didn't realize it put's out some serious tar. One of my kindling pieces rolled down against the glass. The next morning I cleaned the glass and nothing would remove the tar. I tried using Dawn, but she wasn't any help, so then I tried a magic eraser, Goof Off, Goo be Gone, and a mild abrasive cleaner. The tar barely budged. Any recommendations on what will take this off?
A brand new razor blade held at a very low angle...you could try a paste made of ashes on a damp paper towel...that works well sometimes too...
brenndatomu, I forgot to mention a few other things I tried, a plastic and metal razor blade, and the ash paste which is my usual cleaner.. Thank you for the suggestions! (..meanwhile, I'm wondering if there's anything else I forgot to mention.)
Without question that's the cleanest loading door/glass I've seen in some time I'll second the razor blade/damp paper towel with ash as my first go to tools.
Ive used glass top stove cleaner. Has a mild abrasive in it. Takes some elbow grease too, but works. I cleaned mine before cold starts.
The mild abrasive cleaner I used was similar to a stove top cleaner, it can be used on ceramics. I do have some stove top cleaner I can try, it is a paste that I can let sit on it for a few minutes. I clean my glass on a regular basis, when the stove dies down, it's an OCD thing.
I found alternating vegetable oil with soap&water works to remove tree sap (from hands and from my windshield). Sap has both oil & water soluble parts. I found just soap&water wouldn't do it, but the oil would soften up the sap so the sopa&water could remove it. Haven't tried this on the tar resulting from a burn, but it may work.
I have a feeling this may do it. I ran the fire box up to about 650 degrees, and that already may have done it. My initial inspection looks good, but a cool stove will reveal more tomorrow.
The very hot fire helped, and much more fun than mayonnaise and elbow grease. The tar on the face of the glass burned off, but there is still some on the bottom edge. My gasket will need replacing before too long, if there's any still there when that time comes I'll work on it. No more cedar for me. What I was using was dead on the ground, and no bigger than 3 inches in diameter, and split into quarters last season. It makes for great kindling, but I had no idea it held that much tar. Maybe it's an over reaction, but even being just used for kindling, I don't like the idea of it going up my chimney...
Just so everyone is clear here...the mayo is for taking pine sap off hands and tools...it wasn't a suggestion for the crap on the stove window...
damm, I was wondering how to market it! It's sad that the obvious needs to be pointed out. We recently got back from a trip out west, visited several national parks with this sign in the bathroom..
