How do you clean the outside of a wood-burning stove?

Answer 1

To clean your outdoor wood furnace the fire and coals need to burn down as much as possible. Take a shovel and push all the coals over to one side of the fire box, then scoop out all the ashes from that side. Once one side is complete, moved the coals to the other side and repeat the process. Place the hot ashes in a metal garbage can because they will be hot and could start an unwanted fire. Place the lid over the garbage can to put out any hot coals. Also the use of a dust mask to cover your face during the clean out is recommended because the airborne ashes can get pretty messy.

By leaving a few hot coals in the wood furnace it will make starting a hot fire much easier. Just throw some wood on the hot coals and it will start right up. I also use a garden hoe and flat shovel to scrape any noticeable buildup off the interior of the fire box and door.

I clean my wood furnace about once a month. It can be a fairly messy job but overall it's not that bad. Some models are equipped with an auger system but I have heard mixed results. I prefer to just scoop it out once a month plus the ashes from the garbage can are great for the garden.

Answer 2

For normal cleaning of a cast iron stove, I would use stove black and follow the instructions. Stove black is available online or at hardware stores.

If the stove is enameled, I would clean with a small amount of soap and water, and wipe with a sponge to remove soap residue.

If the stove has something on it, such as paint, melted plastic, or such, then you have a problem that really requires some thought and consideration for what the mess is.

I would try to avoid the use of sand paper on a cast iron stove. Dry sanding will put iron dust into the air. I would also avoid the use of most oils, unless they are specifically recommended for wood stoves.