Cleaning the glass

[numenius]

Tried some actual purpose made stove glass cleaner on our wood stove - utter rubbish!

Every so often Lidl gets spray oven cleaner in for about a quid and I buy a few tins of that - works great. Mr Muscle also works as well (but dearer). Used the ash and water method (my father uses that on thier coke stove) but don't like scratchig the glass, albeit micro scratches as even with wood, you pick up the odd bit of grit that was on the logs.

Tip of the day: spraying oven cleaner on a hot stove glass gives an interesting and authentic WWI trench mustard gas attack experience when you accidentaly breathe the caustic fumes in and go coughing and spluttering out into the fresh air wondering if your end has come ....  guess how I know that?  

[Mostie]

Mr. Muscle 

or kitchen towel and vinegar 

[Treebeard]

Stainless steel pan scourer with water works fine for me, no sign of scratching.

[artful_bodger]

The proprietary branded products all use sodium hydroxide.  This is drain cleaner.  Look in boots, or wilkinson for a white 500ml (I think) plastic bottle -  about £1.  It comes in a powdered form.  About a teaspoon for 500ml of water.  I use it everyday to clean the glass.  You dont need very much and it takes seconds.  My 500ml of solution is half full after 1 seasons use.  Make sure it is sodium hydroxide.  (exact words)

It converts fat into soap.  You fingers have oil on them, so it'll convert that too.  Wash hands afterwards - well you would anyway as you've just set a  fire!

For the really really stubborn marks, soak a square of kitchen paper and leave it stuck to the glass for 30 mins.

You can also use it to develop printed circuit boards, but dilute 10:1 again.  Versatile stuff.  Also does a good job on drains, as it says on the tin.

Added to lead, you get gold.  Add to grass cuttings and sealed into double glazing gives you solar panels.  Added to - no you're right the last one wasnt funny.

[charlieb]

I have a small 6 in high soft topped stool to sit on for all fire activities including stoking, warming up after being outside or for drying gloves on. I think it's been in front of the fire for 3 or 4 decades now.

And, most importantly, putting your feet up on when you settle down in front of the stove.  Me too (though only a couple of years).
Newspaper and ash has always worked for me, though no boiler so we rarely have to bother unless someone's turned all air inlet off to leave it in overnight.

[Baz]

oven cleaners tend to be ammonia based as is windolene hence your gas attack above, though not quite as severe as phosgene. Since both caustic and ammonia need fat (ie your fingers) to make the soap to do the cleaning why not cut out the middleman (you) and just use soap?
Ammonia and windowlene can be used to soak wood for bending more easily if the size is too small to need steaming. Could be useful to know when you are making round solar panels with the caustic&grass mix.