How to Remove Creosote from Fireplace Glass

If you have stained glass doors from creosote deposits, allow the glass to cool down then wipe it on the inside to get rid of the loose debris. Ideally, use damp newspaper for this. If the deposits are tar-like and sticky, you should light a hot fire and burn dry, seasoned wood on it for several hours. This should effectively burn off most of the deposits.

You can buy a special glass cleaner from many of our retailers and this is great for removing deposits. Another lesser known cleaning technique is to dip a damp wad of newspaper into the ashes of the wood then rub it vigorously on the glass to remove stubborn deposits. Then, use a fresh piece of damp newspaper to wipe down the glass again.

Finally, to help prevent creosote from building up on your glass doors in the first place, burn your fire with the air control open. This keeps the smoke away from the surface, making it harder for deposits to form.

Below is a list of fireplace and grill stores that service Virginia (VA)

Manassas, VA

Winston's Chimney Service
11301 Industrial Road
Manassas, VA 20109

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Mechanicsville, VA

Hearth & Home Shoppe
8151 Mechanicsville Tpk
Mechanicsville, VA 23111

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Roanoke, VA

Dixie Building Products Inc.
3342 Melrose Ave NW
Roanoke, VA 24017

Warrenton, VA

Costello's Warrenton Fireplace & Hot Tub
251 West Lee Hwy
Warrenton, VA 20186


For more information, contact your local fireplace and grill store..

2 Responses

  1. Harry
    Clean creosote and the yellow gunk off the glass (ceramic) with Dawn Power Dissolver. Not Dawn other products, ONLY Dawn Power Dissolver. Spray it on, wait 15 minutes, and wash it off. It drips as it dissolves so put some newspaper down. Trust me, Dawn Power Dissolver is the only thing I have ever found to do this job easily. I buy it by the case. And, no, I have no financial interest in it.
    • Joseph Bodden
      Harry, we thank you for your comments. Your WE LOVE FIRE dealer has glass cleaner that's made for specifically removing creosote and other combustion by-products from the glass. If Dawn Power Dissolver works for you, that's good I guess. The ceramic glass on a wood burning fireplace can take temperatures of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit and is very expensive to replace. My concern would be if there's a long term effect on the microscopic coating of polycrystalline structures on the ceramic glass for a wood burning fireplace. I am not aware of any manufacturer's endorsing this product, and at the price for replacement ceramic glass, I'd would still highly recommend staying with a wood fireplace glass cleaner formulated for this purpose. As I recall, the last bottle of wood stove glass cleaner I bought was $10 or $11 and lasted over 4 years! To me, saving a couple of bucks would not be worth the risk of damaging the glass. Thank you for your comments. Please tell your friends and family members about WeLoveFire.com. Regards, Joe

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