July 22, 2024
How to Clean Your Grill
Whether you fire up the grill every weekend or only on special occasions, you'll need to devote some time to cleaning it.
While outdoor cooking may spare you from a messy kitchen, grills are appliances that also require routine cleaning.
Why It’s Important to Keep Your Grill Clean
Each time you fire up your grill, oils and juices from food drip onto the grate and into the appliance. Fat and grease may even splatter onto the lid. All this debris bakes into the grill as you cook due to the heat. Over time, this baked-in food mess can attract germs and bacteria.
While you won’t want black bits of burnt food mess stuck to your freshly grilled barbeque chicken wings, you also don’t want bacteria clinging to your food. If that doesn’t convince you, the build-up of burnt food mess can even attract pests like mice, rats, and cockroaches. The burnt-on mess can also pose a safety concern. Excess grease can increase the risk of spontaneous flames that could lead to a dangerous backyard fire.
Your meals will taste better if your grill is clean. It will also heat up faster and last longer.
Things You’ll Need to Clean Your Grill
Before you roll up your sleeves and follow our steps on how to clean your grill after use, you’ll need to gather a few supplies:
- Grill brush: Wire brushes are generally not the best choice, as the hard bristles can damage certain grills. Porcelain, ceramic, stainless steel and cast iron grills won’t handle wire bristles well. Instead, choose a softer brush with nylon bristles.
- Scraper: A wood or stainless steel scraper is another invaluable investment for your grill. While stainless steel scrapers will suffice, wood scrapers won’t risk scratches and dents.
- Heavy-duty scrub sponge: A regular kitchen sponge is no match for baked-on grease, so you’ll want to gather a few heavy-duty sponges to keep your grill clean.
- Microfiber cloth: These soft cloths can quickly wipe up messes without scratching surfaces. Microfiber clothes are extra-absorbent, which makes cleaning wet and greasy messes easier.
- Gloves: Cleaning gloves are not essential, but they will save your hands from getting covered in grease.
- Degreaser solution: There are quite a few quality degreaser cleaning products on the market. While some are designed for ovens, others are specially formulated to clean grill grates.
Steps to Clean Your Grill
Once you have gathered all your supplies, here’s how to keep your grill clean:
Gas Grills
These steps explain how to clean gas grill appliances:
- Scrub the grates with a grill brush. Lift them up to clean the underside. Use a scraper for stubborn burnt messes, and be careful not to scrape too hard to avoid damaging the finish.
- Brush and scrape the metal bars above the burners. All the grime should fall into the grease trap or pan below.
- Mix grill-safe detergent and water in a large bucket. Remove the grates and the metal bars and place them inside to soak.
- Use a grill brush or scraper to clean the grill’s interior. Push all the gunk into the pan below. Gently brush the gas burner tubes, and use a sponge and detergent to wash any leftover residue away.
- Remove the grease trap and scrape the mess into a trash bag. Place the tray into the bucket of water along with the grates and metal bars. Leave these items to soak for a few hours.
- Use a sponge and soapy water to wash any dirt from the exterior. Wipe away soap residue with a damp cloth.
- Remove the grease trap, metal bars, and grates from the bucket and rinse them with water. Put these items back in place, and your grill is clean.
Charcoal Grills
Charcoal grills require a slightly different set of steps:
- Use a grill brush or scraper to remove debris from the grates. Turn them over to scrape the other side.
- Fill a large bucket with soapy water and place them inside to soak.
- Clear ash and leftover charcoal from the bottom of the grill, and use a cloth and soapy water for the interior.
- Use a sponge and detergent to scrub the lid. For porcelain charcoal grills, use a glass cleaning detergent and a soft microfiber cloth for this step.
- Remove the grates from the bucket and rinse the soap residue with water. Put them back and close the lid.
Flat-Top Grills
Flat-top grills don’t have grates, which makes them slightly easier to clean. Here are the steps:
- Use a scraper to remove debris from the griddle surface. You can also use a heavy-duty sponge and soapy water to scrub it. Wipe away any soap residue with a damp cloth.
- Use a dry rag to apply a thin coat of vegetable oil to the griddle to prevent rust. Scrape or brush all the grime from the grease pan or trough beneath.
- Wipe down the exterior with a microfiber cloth and soap detergent.
Grill Maintenance Tips
Beyond wiping your grill down after each use and deep cleaning routinely, you’ll also want to know how to clean a grill before use. Wipe the appliance down and use a heavy-duty sponge for the grates or griddle. Oiling the grates with vegetable oil after each clean and before each use will help prevent foods from sticking. Oiled grates are less likely to build up burnt-on grease.
A quality grill cover is an investment that will keep dust and debris off the exterior. It will protect your grill from the elements, ensuring rain won’t lead to rust and corrosion.
Clean the grill before winter or when it won’t be used for long periods to ensure any leftover mess won’t foster mold growth or attract pests.
Let Maid Bright Keep Your Home Clean
Keeping things tidy around the house takes time and quite a bit of effort. Between deep cleaning the grill and sanitizing surfaces, you might start to dread your chores. Fortunately, you don’t need to manage everything on your own.
Maid Bright is a professional residential cleaning company serving Washington, DC, Arlington, Alexandria and surrounding areas. We offer initial, recurring and one-time cleans, amongst other services. We provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so you can rest assured we’ll exceed your expectations to leave your home spotless.
Whether you need help restoring order to your home once or recurring services to maintain a pristine environment, schedule a free estimate or book cleaning services online.
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