How to Clean Solo Stove

The Solo Stove has been beloved by campers, hikers, and people with a love for the outdoors.  It’s known as being a smokeless portable fire pit. The Solo Stove has amassed a massive following for its convenience and cutting-edge design. 

But after a summer of barbecues and bonfires with your Solo Stove, you might notice it starting to get a little grimy. With proper upkeep, your Solo Stove will last for years to come. If you’re wondering how to clean a Solo Stove, you’re in the right place! 

How do you know if it’s time to clean your Solo Stove? The easy answer is that you should clean it out after every use. Then you can worry about giving it a deep clean when you notice the ash gets more difficult to empty out or has begun to gather a layer of soot. Cleaning it after each use means more time in between these deep cleans, and less effort for you. 

Cleaning your Solo Stove after each use is quick and simple. Making a routine out of post-use cleanings will ensure your stove lasts for a very long time. 

Tools and materials you’ll need: 

• A dry cloth
• A soft-bristle brush
• A small industrial/shop vacuum (optional)

Step 1: Let it cool down

It’s essential to make sure your stove has completely cooled down (including the ash inside the pit) before you begin cleaning. These stoves get incredibly hot and you could insure yourself if you start cleaning too soon. 

Step 2: Tip and shake  

Once cooled, you need to tip your Solo Stove over so that it’s upside down and shake out the ash and debris from the fire. Shake out as much as possible before continuing on. 

Step 3: Scrub it down 

Get your brush ready, and use it to scrub any soot or ash which didn’t fall away by shaking the vessel. You should scrub the insides of the stove including the perforated grate, and underneath on the bottom as well. Shake these particles out. 

Step 4: Vacuum what’s remaining 

If there are areas that are difficult for you to reach or scrub, or there are loose bits that won’t fall out, a vacuum will help. You can use a shop vacuum (known for having a stronger and more industrious motor than a traditional vacuum) to remove these last pieces of ash. 

Please note that the vacuum tip is very effective at keeping the stove as clean as possible for the longest time possible. But if you don’t have a vacuum it’s okay to skip this step and do your best to shake the particles free. 

Step 5: Wipe it down

Now you can use a dry rag to wipe down all surfaces of the Solo Stove to ensure that it’s dust-free and ready for the next use. 

Step 6: Pack it up

The last step is more of a preventative measure than a cleaning step. That is to cover your stove and pack it away in a dry place until you’ll be using it again. 

Even with regular care, you might notice every once in a while, that your Solo Stove needs a deep clean. This could look like stubborn ash that you can’t scrape off by hand, or even bits of rust if you’ve left it outside for too long. When your stove has seen better days, give it a deeper clean than usual by following these steps. 

What you’ll need: 

• A firm-bristled brush or a brush drill attachment
• A buffing kit or buffer drill attachment
• A stainless steel cleaning solution
• A dry cloth 

Step 1: Dump out the ash

After making sure your stove is cooled down if you’ve just used it, you can dump the remnants of the fire out. Use a brush to scrub any easily removable bits off and shake those out as well. 

Step 2: Brush off the stubborn bits

Now you’ll be getting off the difficult and hardened areas of soot or ash. You have two choices. You can use a firm-bristled brush and put in a lot of elbow grease scrubbing, or you can use a brush attachment for a drill. 

If you choose the former, do your best to scrape away this tricky layer. You can use a sharp edge of a tool like a flathead screwdriver to try and chip away these areas of built-up debris if it helps. 

If you use the drill and brush attachment, it will be much faster and more effective. 

Step 3: Buff the stove

Now, similarly to step 2, you can buff your solo stove by hand or by machine. 

If you’ll be buffing by hand with your home buffing kit, then you can get out your buffing pads and rub all areas of the stove’s outer drum in circular motions. This will keep the outside smooth and shiny. 

The buffer drill attachment will save you time and effort. Apply the same method of reaching all areas of the outside drum with your buffer until it’s looking beautiful. 

Step 4: Use the cleaning solution 

The last step is to use the dry cloth to wipe down the barrel of the Solo Stove, then use a stainless steel cleaning product. Stainless steel cleaning sprays will remove fingerprints, add a nice shine and polished effect, and most add a protective coating as well. 

Since the Solo Stove is usually used outside, many people just leave their stoves outside as well even when not in use. However, we warn against that as it can lead to rusting or early deterioration of the Solo Stove’s metal body. Even though these stoves are tough and durable, with enough exposure to the elements they will be affected. 

Instead, if you want to ensure a clean and sturdy Solo Stove for as long as possible, cover it up with its Solo Stove carrying case each time you’re finished using it and cleaning it. Even better, is to bring it inside a shed, garage, or your home for safe storage. 

Once you start cleaning your Solo Stove after every fire, you’ll notice it performs better with less smoke and debris build-up. You should pay attention to where you store the stove and, when necessary if it’s time to give it a deep clean. When you make efforts to maintain your stove, it will reward you by lasting for a very long time to continue having bonfires wherever you go. 

Yes. The drum of your Solo Stove is especially prone to color-changing when in contact with the heat of the fire. It’s nothing to worry about.

It is not recommended to pour water on your solo stove because it can warp and damage the stainless steel body.  Instead, use a cover to put out the fire.