Do you remember the day you bought your grill and promised yourself to keep it clean and nice?
Well if you are like most of us then this promise probably did not last too long.
We all love to grill and smoke, but when it comes to cleaning this is not our favorite thing to do.
Why It Is Important To Have A Clean Grill
Most people think that all they have to clean is the grill grates and the rest is not important.
However, it is a fact that all the stuff that falls through the grates the next time you cook will make the meat get a bad taste and can even cause health issues. You would not leave your stovetop or oven dirty would you?
My Tips On How To Clean A BBQ Grill
To prevent the grill bottom from getting too dirty and easy cleaning I line it with aluminum foil.
- After cooking close the lid so the remaining heat can burn off the grates
- Use a quality brush to clean the grates
You can read my grill brush reviews here, and the type of brush is depending on your way of grilling and the type of grill grate you have.
- After the grill cooled down, pick up the aluminum foil from the bottom, and trash it.
- Inspect the bottom of the grill for dirt and sometimes you will find grease there.
Most grills have a hole in the bottom so get a bucket of water and soap and clean the bottom.
Weekly cleaning of a BBQ grill
If you use your grill just ones in a while you will have to do this step after every use.
If you are a more frequent user like me you can do this once a week.
- Remove the grill grates and turn them over to clean the bottom
- Clean the bottom of the grill really well with water and soap.
- Let your grill warm up for at least 10 minutes before you start cooking to clean out any soap residue.
Monthly cleaning of the BBQ grill
The steps in this one depend on what kind of grill you have.
A charcoal grill needs a different approach than a gas grill, because of the burners.
- Remove your grill grates
- Try to remove burners and other parts inside the grill
- Clean the inside with water and soap
- put everything back together
- clean grill grates with water and soap on top and bottom and in between
- Rinse them off with clean water
Heat up your grill and let it sit for a while to make sure all the soap and water is vaporized.
End of Season BBQ Grill Cleaning
If you are not the type of person that grills all year round it is good to give your grill a good end-of-season cleaning and store it dry to prevent rust.
Clean it as I mentioned in the monthly cleaning and after that take your time to do some maintenance.
- Paint part that is losing paint with grill paint that is heat resistant. (ask your hardware store)
- Replace parts that look like they need replacement like burners or heat shields.
- Use a good quality cover and store your grill in a dry place.
I think if you follow these steps (and you might have some more) your grill will just need a little dusting and a few minutes of pre-heating for the next season.
I found some tips on how to clean the grill grates without a brush and will write about that later.
One tip I use is keeping the bottom of your grill clean and I wrote about it in my how to keep the bottom of a BBQ clean article.
Feel free to add your experience with cleaning and or storing your grill. Every tip that can make our life easier and our food saver is worth sharing.
Eddie van Aken
Eddie van Aken has run his own full-service restaurant for many years. Before that, he worked as a grill and buffet cook in some of the mainstream restaurants. With his experience using professional kitchen equipment, he is able to write expert reviews. You can read more about Eddie van Aken here.