An electric fireplace can maintain functionality and beauty for quite some time. However, this can only work when one takes care of it. One large part of this care comes from regular cleaning. This isn’t always easy though. Electric fireplaces mix electricity, visual displays and heat generation.
It calls for some extra care during cleaning. As such, we’ll look into one of the more delicate stages of any electric fireplace cleaning project. This article covers every point relating to how to clean electric fireplace glass. It will ensure electric fireplaces both look and run perfectly.
1. First Steps
The first step involves determining whether the fireplace even needs cleaning. This might seem rather self explanatory at first. But there’s actually quite a bit more to it than one might imagine. One first needs to really consider the overall visual quality.
When an electric fireplace is first purchased the visual quality is about as good as it gets. This should serve as an overall reference point. It’s true that visual quality can rise or fall through a number of different factors. But in general, the most probable cause simply involves overall buildup from dust or grime.
This is usually fairly easy to determine though. If the display seems more obscured than dulled then it’s usually cleaning related. And in a similar way, strong visual distortion usually comes down to repair rather than cleaning.
2. Start with an Easy Fix
To begin, one should find a good duster. One should put special care into finding non-abrasive dusters. However, one can even make use of cloth intended for glasses. Basically, the surface can’t have any level of grain to it. The duster or cloth needs to be smooth.
3. Safe Use of Liquids
From here one can simply try to clean off any dust. There’s a few more points to consider though. Electricity should always take precedence when one considers how to clean electric fireplace units. As such, one should ensure it’s unplugged before using any liquid.
Then one can lightly dampen a smooth cloth. And one should take note to use water rather than cleaning solution. Many commercial cleaners have elements which don’t work well with heat. This could cause corrosion or even toxic fumes. Water simply turns to harmless vapor when heated.
It’s quite common for this to take care of the problem. If it doesn’t fix the issue than one needs to gather up some screwdrivers.
4. Finding the Screws
Every electric fireplace has unique elements. So finding the screws holding glass or plastic in place can be difficult. But most fireplaces have around four to six screws screws holding the glass.
One should carefully remove all but one or two top screws. Learning how to clean electric fireplace glass stresses care with that glass.
5. Removing the Glass Pane
One should hold onto the glass with one hand. The other should work on unscrewing the final screws. The most important point to consider comes from weight. Depending on size, the glass pane can prove rather heavy.
People should prepare themselves for unexpected weight when their hand holds it. Likewise, it’s a good idea to have a smooth and soft surface available. Ideally one can lower the glass onto a large pillow. From there, one can proceed to gently clean the back of the pane. This is fairly similar to how one handled the front.
6. Work on Interior Elements
Consider how to clean electric fireplace glass varies a lot by individual model. As such, this step needs additional clarification. Every type of electric fireplace has different elements behind the glass. And this raises an extra point for one’s consideration.
People should note whether they had to give special attention to the back or front of the glass. If the front of the glass was especially dirty than interior cleaning isn’t overly relevant.
But if the inner side of the glass is dirty than one needs to take extra steps. People should look for any source of interior discharge. Vents are a common point for distribution. They’ll often hit the glass in order to aid in heat distribution.
But if there’s dust or grime in the vents than it can essentially sandblast it. One should carefully examine interior vents for dust or dirt. If there’s physical logs than one should examine them as well.
7. Final Steps
The last step should prove fairly easy. At this point one should have cleaned both front and back of the glass. Any source of further internal contamination should be clean as well. So from here it’s simply a matter of putting the glass back in place.
This is where people often make a mistake when learning how to clean electric fireplace glass. One should either wear gloves, have clean cloth on hand. This is because it’s very easy to smudge the glass when putting it back into place. It’s often quite heavy which leads to neglectful handling.
But if one carefully holds it the screws should fit quite easily. It’s usually a good idea to begin with one or two top screws. This can help hold it in place when firmly screwing in the rest.
It’s also a good idea to wait until the next day to turn it on if one used liquid internally. Water usually shouldn’t pose much of a concern. But at the same time, there’s little point in needless risk.Waiting a day gives it a chance to fully dry.
Wrapping Up
All of the steps build up to one solid conclusion. It’s much easier to continue cleaning than it is to start after residue has built up. As such, learning how to clean electric fireplace glass should act as a motivator. When one has the knowledge it’s something to actually act on.
By applying it as soon as possible one can make it a far easier experience than it’d otherwise be. The first step is learning technique. And the step which should follow quickly after involves actual implementation.