Cleaning soapstone for wood-burning stoves
Natural stones in particular are often more difficult to clean and maintain than man-made materials. Soapstone, which was built into the stove, should also be properly cleaned as a natural product so that no discoloration or damage occurs.
Soapstone - natural and delicate material
Whether granite, firebrick or soapstone, almost all natural types of stone often have a serious disadvantage, namely, that these are often difficult to treat and clean in the event that the material is discolored deface.
- Soapstone is often used in the casing of the stove. The natural stone offers the advantage, even if the stove is no longer heated, that the energy and heat can be stored over a longer period of time and given off to the environment. Seen in this way, soapstone is not only a beautiful aesthetic factor for the stove, it is also ecologically valuable and lowers energy costs.
- Since soapstone has a relatively low hardness, it should not be cleaned with harsh or chemical cleaning agents, as otherwise acute discolouration and material loss or damage. Damage can result.
- You should refrain from cleaning the stove's soapstone panels while they are still warm, as the heat opens the pores of the Craquelé joints, so that dirt is often rubbed deeper into the natural material, resulting in serious discolouration could be. Accordingly, you should only clean the soapstone that was built into a fireplace when it is cold.
Correct cleaning for the natural stone stove
Depending on how dirty it is, you can clean the soapstone for the stove with little effort.
Soapstone belongs, just like fireclay stone or granite, to the natural stones, the warmth ...
- Sweep the soapstone or First of all, remove the natural stone slabs and sheathing with a hand brush so that coarse dirt is removed.
- Soak a cotton cloth in warm water with a squirt of regular washing-up liquid.
- Clean the contaminated or discolored parts of the soapstone on the stove, so that they collect in the cotton cloth and are removed by the natural stone.
- In the event that the dirt on the soapstone is of a stubborn nature, you can try to remove it with very fine-grained emery paper. Make sure that you only proceed carefully and gently, as you always remove part of the surface of the soapstone when sanding. Concentrate this measure accordingly only on the impurities.
You can also use commercial soapstone cleaners to clean the natural material that was used for the stove. Use the products only in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, so that no discoloration can occur here either. Make sure you treat the soapstone for the stove with care, the fewer measures you need to take to clean it.
