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Thoroughly Clean Your Barbecue Top to Bottom

By Anthony P Langston

The Grill

Existence will be much easier if the dirt is loosened before scrubbing. A fast way to do this would be to wash at the end of a cookout when the bbq is still hot, and the muck hasn’t had time to cake on yet. If you are still entertaining and don’t fancy this, or simply overlook, there are still options available. For lidded bbqs, a neat way of softening up grime is actually to place a water-soaked newspaper or equivalent inside and use a gentle heat again for 30 minutes approximately. This will essentially steam clean the whole inside, and you’ll chuckle as you lightly wipe away the grime afterwards. Obviously this is simple for gas versions, however for those who have charcoal try using a few small bits of fire wood or even other easily flammable material to obtain some warmth going, or just a few coals if you must. Keep close track of the newspaper though and ensure it does not burn or you will have more mess on your hands! Regardless of whether you steam or not, chemical cleansers will also be a great choice. Take away the grill and place on some newspaper, and spray liberally with stove solution or other spray on cleansers (like you would use in your kitchen) and leave for an hr or so.

Now it’s time to get scrubbing up. Do not use balled up pieces of foil on your nice brand new barbeque grill, instead make use of special scrubbing stones or even scrapers which you can purchase to break off difficult, brittle grime. Much softer mess can be taken off with a regular soft cloth or skillet scourers. Be cautious with enamel-coated grills, you need to loosen grime very well first and then make use of a mild pressure as possible. Lastly, give the bbq grill a good wash and leave in order to dry.

Inside

For those who have were able to steam-soften the inside of the bbq itself then things should be easier. For straightforward grilling with charcoal bbqs, scoop or tip out any coal mess, as well as clean up the final bits with some damp kitchen roll. Now wipe the areas down with a soft cloth covered in spray solution, lightly scrubbing any kind of stubborn areas. If there are places which have burned on food you cannot get rid of, you may have to spray on some stove cleaner and leave for some time but read the cleaner directions to ensure it is suitable for the surface in question (i.e. enamel, painted, steel etc). Don’t worry about the base where the hot coals sit as this is unlikely to be looking great as scuffs and burns build up here. So long as it’s clean and free from aged waste materials you will not get any nasty smells in the next cookout. Gas bbqs can be a little more tricky. Many places can be cleaned just as with the methods above, but gas outlets and lava rocks etc add extra work. Start by removing any lava rocks or ceramic coals and put all of them into a bucket of warm soapy water. If you can now thoroughly clean round the burners and flavouriser bars with ease – great. Nevertheless, you might have to remove certain parts to clean them properly, so consult your manual, and remember to not start removing any gas-ferrying parts that you’re unclear about. Put them back when you are done, and wash the actual lava rocks/coals in the bucket if needs be and wash them in freshwater. You may find these need changing after a year or so if they are accumulating grime. Finally, rinse the interior of the charcoal or gas barbecue with a hose pipe or perhaps a bucket of water until it appears nice and sparkly, and replace the lava rocks etc. Replace the grill and stand back to admire your work.

Outside

The outside of the bbq is easy. Simply clean it down with a damp cloth, adding a suitable solution – normal cleaning up liquid ought to be good, but you can get stainless steel polishing spray or other material-specific cleaners. Gas control buttons can often be removed to clean, which is essential as you do not want dirt to accumulate and trigger stiffness. Be careful with any kind of flaky paint or chipping enamel – you can always retouch these places but make sure you seek advice from either a manual or even the manufacturer first on what precisely to use. Once clean, buff the outside with a dry cloth and add any preservative films you want. Many people recommend cleaning down stainless steel models with oil (even baby oil) to keep the elements at bay, but don’t worry too much. It is smart to take time to protect any wooden areas though with a dedicated barbecue wood oil treatment. Please, please beware of chemical preservatives or treatments you utilize somewhere else in the home. Some may be flammable and have no place on a bbq!

Now it is all clean and polished, it will be ready for the following cookout. If you want to reduce work later on, try spraying the actual grill with oil before you decide to cook to really make it more non-stick. In addition, if the coal area is looking tired, add a thin coating of sand which will safeguard this. Don’t forget to cover your bbq or put it in the shed if you have 1. You will be grateful you did whenever you roll it looking all gleaming for the next time.

At BBQbarbecues you can view our whole range and other services that we do such as Gas BBQs, Charcoal Barbecues, Patio Heaters, Wood Fired Ovens and Patio Heaters.

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