It’s summertime, and family and friends will gather for delicious BBQ cookouts in your backyard. After everyone enjoys a tasty meal, cleaning your grill is essential so it’s squeaky clean and ready for the next gathering.

Learning how to clean a grill properly guarantees the best performance whenever you want to dazzle your acquaintances with your signature ribs. So, how do you approach this task? This article will answer your question in detail.

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How Often Should You Clean Your Grill?

Before jumping onto cleaning, asking how often you should clean your grill is essential.

After each use, all food particles should be removed from the grill. The grates should be scrubbed clean using warm, soapy water, and all the ashes should be emptied.

But after five to seven uses, you should give your grill a deep cleaning to help restore it to its pre-summer status. Once summer is over and you’re no longer using the grill as much as you’d like to, it’s time to clean it one more time and store it away.

Removing all the burnt food guarantees no weird aftertaste or smell in your BBQ. It’s also better for your health.

How to Clean a Grill

Since you can’t put the grates in the dishwasher, cleaning them requires some elbow grease. Luckily, multiple ways to clean your grill exist. These methods range from the easiest to more labour-intensive but are all accessible. Here are some to try.

Using Aluminium Foil

Do you have some old grates that don’t look as impressive as they did when you bought them years ago?

You can restore them to their previous condition using only aluminium foil. Crumble a ball of aluminium foil and scrub the grates until clean.

This method won’t remove the grease build-up but can restore the looks of your old grates. It’s efficient because you can use the aluminium foil to reach all the nooks and crannies you can’t tackle with a sponge or brush. Be careful while using this method; you don’t want to scrape off the enamel by using too much force.

Using Vinegar and Baking Soda

Vinegar and baking soda are cleaning solutions for many household items and appliances. We love this method because it’s safe, accessible, and highly efficient. It also facilitates the removal of stuck food particles and old grease.

After ensuring your grates are cold, put them in a plastic bag and add one cup of white vinegar and one cup of baking soda. You don’t want to soak them in the sink as this solution can be too harsh on your sink and drain.

Let the grates soak overnight, and the solution will work its magic. In the morning, remove the grates from the bag and use a scrubby sponge and some detergent to scrub away all the food particles and grease that your cleaning solution helped loosen.

Using Baking Soda and Liquid Dish Soap

Mixing baking soda and liquid dish soap can remove grease from the hard-to-reach corners of your grates. Blend them to create a paste, put this mixture into a plastic bag, and allow the grates to soak for an hour. It takes less time than vinegar because liquid dish soap already has some chemicals that help dissolve fats.

Use a hard-bristle brush to scrub the grates and rinse. Then, use a sponge with dish soap to clean the grates and rinse them well.

Using a Degreaser

A degreaser is a chemical solution that can remove grease. It’s so potent, so you must wear protective gloves before using one on your grates.

You can head to the store and pick any potent degreaser to clean your grates. Make sure that you do not mix the degreaser with any other cleaning solution.

Some degreasers are fast-acting, while others need time to work. Follow the instructions and use a cleaning brush to clean your grates. Rinse with a cleaning sponge and liquid soap to remove the degreaser’s residue.

Using an Oven Cleaner

Oven cleaners are usually marketed for cleaning ovens and grills. These unique products are designed to tackle the grime and burnt fat on the grill and grates without affecting the enamel.

Follow the application instructions and let the product sit for the recommended period before rinsing. Sometimes, you might have to repeat the process to remove all the gunk.

To clean your grill thoroughly, you can combine several methods. For example, you can scrub your grates using aluminium foil after soaking them in baking soda and dish soap.

Learn more: Cleaning The Oven With Baking Soda

Deep Cleaning Your Grill

In addition to regular grate cleaning, you should give the grill a deep clean at least once or twice a season. After removing the grates and ensuring that your grill is cold, wear your protective gloves and brush any loose debris and dust into the ash catcher.

Use a special degreaser or grill cleaner to clean the inside and outside of your grill. Let it sit for a few minutes before using a brush or sponge to work it through.

After that, use warm, soapy water to clean the whole thing and rinse well. You might have to repeat the process if you have neglected your grill for some time. However, you’ll be impressed with the performance of a clean grill that feels like you’ve just bought it.

Learn more: Are Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Any Good?

Tips for Cleaning Your Grill

Follow these tips while cleaning your grill to ensure excellent results.

  • To avoid rusting, use a microfiber cloth to wipe everything dry before reassembling your grill.
  • Clean stainless steel exteriors with a special stainless steel cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Use a glass cleaner and some paper towels before cleaning porcelain-coated grills.
  • Invest in a high-quality grill cover to protect it from the elements and keep it in good shape.
  • Always test any product before soaking your grates to ensure it doesn’t cause any damage.

Wrap Up

Cleaning your grill regularly is the key to keeping it clean and ready for the next BBQ dinner. Luckily, several cleaning methods are available, so you can try several ones to remove all the debris. You can also mix various cleaning methods to reach the desired result.