Down Mulberry Lane

Refreshing the wood stove...

Today I spent a couple hours cleaning and working on the wood stove.  The fire was still burning, so I did not clean the window as of yet, but you can see what was done today.   The stove was all rusted from the wet moist weather we had this summer, you know, when Iowa had all that flooding.   Well, I took a toothbrush and scrubbed all of the cast iron details.  I also cleaned up the cast iron pot on top of the stove.  After that, I took some vegetable shortening and a clean toothbrush and wiped down the entire stove.  I had only intended to do the cast iron, but the splatters ended up getting onto the soapstone so I just oiled them completely down. 

It looks nice, now.  The oiled stone brings out it's details... with our home being so dry, the stone had almost turned... flakey white.   You can notice that a bit on the top of the stove by the pot, where the oil has already seasoned into the stone... it is still a bit white.  However, I am still quite pleased with the results as the stone looks better than it has in years and the cast iron is nice and black again.  Along the top edge the cast iron looks a shiny brown color, but that is an error from the flash... it all looks nice and black.   I was a bit concerned about getting the oil onto the stone, but it has not appeared to have altered the stone color. 

Now, I need to get back down there and clean up the tiled areas.   I told the girls before I put up the tree, the fire area is getting a good cleaning and a good spiffing.  We need to redo the tile, you may have noticed the missing tiles in front of the stove.  Hopefully that will get done next summer.  It looks like the stove pipe could use a bit of oil as well!  LOL... too bad my toothbrush has melted into a hard piece of plastic from doing the door of the stove... that was quite warm and melted it very quick. 

Well, I've delayed long enough...

Warmly, ~Melissa

lovely

2:21 PM, December 2, 2008 .. Posted by blessedmomof10

melissa,
What a lovely stove!!! It's so old fashioned looking -- I love all the victorian details.... it looks like it must be a soapstone stove? I so wanted to invest in one but it was alas way out of our budget.... enjoy the stove....has winter come yet to Iowa? have you received any snow yet?
Blessings,
gloria