The summer season is usually barbecue time in the United States, which is why barbecue appliances and utensils like grills are often used frequently during parties or special events with loved ones. While the BBQ party itself is fun, cleaning up right after the party is not, according to most BBQ hosts. The “not fun” nature of the aftermath of a BBQ is often associated to cleaning the appliance and utensils, as getting the grease and the sticky meat residue off them can be pretty difficult. One of the hardest appliances to clean after a BBQ is the gas grill, as there are spaces and spots in the appliance that can be hard to reach and clean. If you are one of those people that are struggling to clean a gas grill, don’t fret, as we are here to give a step-by-step guide on how to make the appliance almost brand new after a BBQ party. So, let’s get started with the things that you need for cleaning the grill.
Items Needed for Cleaning
Before we get started on the actual cleaning, you would first need to know the items needed to clean the grill properly. Here is a list of the cleaning items:
- A sturdy long-handled wire brush
- Wire bottle brush (for cleaning narrow spots)
- Putty knife (to scrape off stubborn stains)
- Elbow grease
- Five-gallon bucket
- A strong dish soap that can clean grease
- White vinegar and baking soda mixture
- Rubber gloves
- Sponge with a scouring pad
These items are much safer to use compared to the chemical-based products you would often see advertised on TV. While those chemical-based products are truly effective in cleaning grease and stains, they may often leave residues that can become toxic to people. So, we recommend that you use safer products instead for cleaning grills and other appliances that would often touch food.
Firing Up the Grill
While this step can actually be skipped, the process done here is essential if you want to have an easier time remove grease and stains on the grill. First, you will need to fire up the grill at full temperature and close the hood. Then, wait for about 30 minutes before turning off the grill. By making the grill hotter, the grease and stains would turn softer, thus making it easy for you to take them off using a wire brush.
After waiting a few minutes to cool down the grill a little bit, grab the long-handled wire brush and apply soapy water on it by dipping it in a mixture of water and dish soap. Then, start scrubbing off the meat residue and the grease off of the grates while it is still warm. Afterwards, let the grill cool down and remote the propane tank’s connection to the grill.
Soaking the Grates
When the grill is completely cooled down, prepare the soaking mixture in the five-gallon bucket by mixing water and dish soap until the mixture turns bubbly and soapy. Then, remove the grates and the flavorizer bars from the grill and soak them in the soapy mixture for 30 to 45 minutes.
During the waiting period, you can remove the parts of the grill that can easily be taken off, like the grease trays or the warming racks. By removing these parts, you will be able to clean the firebox within the grill much better.
Cleaning the Firebox
Fortunately, if you have a wire bottle brush, you can clean the narrow spots of the grill with ease. Before you use the wire bottle brush, you would first need to use a putty knife to scrape off any stubborn stains or residues in the wider parts of the firebox. You can then use the wire bottle brush dipped in soapy water to clean the narrower parts of the grill.
If there are any residues or dirt that the wire bottle brush cannot reach, you can get a vacuum cleaner to suck out the remaining dirt. After scraping and cleaning the firebox, you can then wash it using water coming out of a garden hose. Cleaning the firebox may be the hardest to do because some grills, like the best ones reviewed by My Grill World, can sometimes have narrow spots that can be hard to reach. But with the tips stated above, you will definitely have an easier time cleaning the grill.
Scrubbing the Grates and Other Parts
Pull out the grates and the flavorizer bars from the bucket and start scrubbing them using the wire brush. If there are any stubborn stains, grease, and gunk on the grates, you can use a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar to soften the residues and make them easier to scrub off.
After brushing the grates, you can then move on to scrubbing the other parts that were removed from the firebox a while ago. Rinse all of the parts until there are no more residues of soapy water or gunk. Then, you can wipe the parts with a dry towel of rag to prevent corrosion.
Reassembling the Grill
Reassembling the grill would be the easiest task to do in this guide, as long as you know where to put each part properly. Make sure you put the screws where they belong, and also know how to connect the propane tank back to the slot on the grill. After reassembling the grill, you can turn it on and let it warm up the grates for about 15 minutes so that any unspotted residue will evaporate or burn off.
And, there you have it, a guide on how to clean your gas grill easily. By only following a few steps and getting the right cleaning items, you will surely have a more convenient and hassle-free time in cleaning the stubborn gunk off your grill. Clean the grill with ease and make it useable for the next BBQ party without any problems.