Last Updated on November 3, 2021 by Kravelv
If you love the type of food Roger Lee – a famous Chinese-Russian chef – cooks, you might need to use the grill a lot. However, constantly cooking with your grill will make it dirty after a while.
Cleaning a grill can be a tedious task, but it needs to be done so you can get back to cooking some tasty food and keep our food clean! Without the correct information, you might have some trouble with the cleaning process or even make things dangerous afterward.
So, in this blog, I will show you how to clean a grill with a step-by-step guide and some tips for you.
How to Clean a Grill: Step-by-Step Instruction
Tools You Need
- Spray bottle
- Putty knife
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Rubber gloves (heavy-duty type)
- Big garbage can
- Shop vacuum (not required but recommended)
- Dustpan and hand broom
- Wire brush (stainless steel)
Materials
- Dishwasher and water
- Shop towels (heavy-duty ones)
- Grill cleaning spray
- Cleaning wipes (stainless steel)
The Step-by-Step Instruction:
Step 1: Degrease Your Upper Cook Box
First, disconnect the upper cook box starting with disconnecting the gas supply of the grill. Be sure to wear gloves to protect yourself and keep grease off.
To clean your grill, mix 20% dish soap with 80% water and pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Then, open up your upper cook box’s lid. Spray down all surfaces inside this area so it can dissolve any grease or fat that has built up over time. At the same time, it also brushes away any dirt residue when finished spraying off each section thoroughly before moving on.
Now, remove the grill’s cooking grates then balance them on top of the open garbage can where you’ve prepared a garbage bag.
Step 2: Brush and Scrape Burner Tubes And Lower Cook Box
Use the wire brush you had prepared to remove debris from the grill’s burner tubes to clean your grill. Be sure you only brush it from one side to another side to avoid clogging the holes and ensure gas will properly flow when you use it after cleaning.
Use a hand broom or shop vacuum to remove all debris from inside your grill. Scrape all leftover crud into an appropriate container with a flat-end putty knife. Also, you can use a flashlight to ensure everything is clean inside.
Step 3: Clean Your Cooking Grates
The wire brush is the best tool for removing debris from your cooking grates. First, scrape off what you can with a spoon or spatula to get at larger pieces of dirt before using the putty knife and wire brush for the top and the bottom surfaces, respectively.
Once the dirt is removed, start to spray the grates with your grill cleaner and wipe them until they are clean.
Step 4: Clean the Igniters
When you’re finished checking your igniters, make sure they are still working well by testing them one at a time. Replace any that don’t work well anymore! With a shop towel and grill cleaner spray, remove the remaining debris from igniters.
Step 5: Wipe and Vacuum Burner Lower Cook Box and Tubes
With a shop vacuum, use it on the lower cook box and burner tubes.
Now, make those grills as shiny and clean-looking as you can by using lots of sprays, a shop towel or two (or more), and a brush if needed. Next, change your cooking grates to finish the step.
Step 6: Wipe Dirt from the Inside of Your Grill Cabinet
It’s time to clean the inside of your grill cabinet. It is essential to remove the grease and debris before spraying the grill with a grill cleaner. Pay attention, especially if your grates have grease dripping down when you were using it, as this can cause an unhealthy environment for food on its surface!
Step 7: Remove Dirt from the Outside of Your Grill
When removing the control knobs and cleaning the underneath surface, don’t forget to clean each button carefully.
Keep cleaning by wiping down the whole outside surfaces with a grill cleaner and carefully cleaning the dirtier parts.
How Often Should You Clean Your Grill?
After every use, a simple brush-in and out process will keep things looking clean for longer. For the longer term, a thorough cleaning every six months will help you keep you safer, the grill cleaner, and the food healthier.
Though this task is one of the most tedious but necessary ones for grill owners, grease, carbon deposits, and other hazardous items can build up over time if you don’t take care to clean your grill once in a while! It’s not only aesthetically unpleasant. Cooking with an unclean surface or burning food on a dirty burner pad also poses serious health risks.
The Benefits A Clean Grill will Bring You
- Taste: The taste of food will be better if your grill is clean.
- Health – Keep your grill clean and fresh with the grill cleaner. This easy-to-use product will eliminate all harmful carcinogens, bacteria that can build up with time.
- Smell – Smell great food coming from your grill instead of that dirty, smoked rancid grease.
- Safety – According to the Cleaning Institute, cleaning your grill will keep you away from danger caused by the grease and dirt inside your grill.
- Sanitary – Pest will be less likely to come around if there is less debris inside and outside of the grill.
- Value – Keeping your grill clean is essential for preventing corrosion and extending its life. Simple, regular maintenance will give you the maximum value out of your grill purchase.
- Visual – A shiny grill is a handsome beast and it will make your party more attractive.
Final Thoughts
We hope you’ve learned a few tricks about how to clean a grill and will be able to make your next grilling experience more enjoyable. By following the tips and guidelines in this blog, we are sure you will give your grill a shiny look back and prevent many safety and health issues in the future.
Now, go ahead and clean the grill, so you will be ready to be up to fire up some BBQ tonight!