5 Uses for Wet Newspaper in the Fireplace
Here are some creative and effective ways to extend your burn time, make a fire starter and to clean soot from fireplace glass. You will need newspaper and a spray bottle filled with water.
Extend Burn Time for Wood
I hate having to run and get wood all night long to keep the fire from burning out. When I stop feeding the fire, temperatures drop fast. Try this: Wrap a piece of wood in newspaper and wet it until the paper clings to the log. Two to three layers should be fine. Let that log dry. Once you have a good fire going or at the end of the night, place the wrapped log into your fireplace. It will extend the burn time quite some time.
Braid Newspaper to make a Fire Starter
Roll and crunch a few pieces of newspaper into three or six long rolls. Braid those rolls together. The tighter and thicker you braid, the longer your fire starter will burn and the more heat it will put out. If you wet your fire starter and let it dry, it will also prolong the burn time because it will be more dense.
Clean the Soot off Fireplace Glass
Bunch up newspaper and wet it. Dip the wet newspaper into wood ash from your fireplace and rub the inside of your fireplace glass. Wood ash is abrasive and will loosen the soot. Once the soot is loose, wipe and polish the glass with wet newspaper.
Shine the Outside of your Fireplace or Wood Stove
Don’t want to waste a good rag on a dirty fireplace? Use wet newspaper to clean all glass and metal parts of the outside. The ink in the newspaper helps clean glass and metal without streaks. No chemical cleaners needed.
Improve Kindling
The small sticks I use for kindling are always all over the place. Not just in the house, but also inside of the fireplace. They fall through the metal grate and slip away when I put bigger logs on top. I twist newspaper into long rolls and wet them slightly. Then, I use them to tie my kindling bundle together at two ends. This helps when transporting it through the house and to keep it in place when I start a fire.
