Grills are a great way to enjoy food with family and friends. They’re easy to use and are relatively easy to set up, too. The only real challenge with owning a grill is cleaning it, and that’s where we’ve got you covered. So whether you own the best BBQ grill on the block and want to show off, or just want to learn some regular maintenance, here’s how you can keep your grill nice and clean.
Pro Tip: Use a BBQ Cover
Before we go into actually cleaning a grill, a quick note: buy yourself a BBQ cover for your grill first. Covering up your grill when not in use limits its exposure to the elements, so there's less dust, dirt, and other particles that end up on its surface over time. This will also lessen the frequency of your grill cleaning sessions, which is always nice.
Step 1: Gather the Required Materials and Equipment
First things first - get all the needed materials and equipment ready. For equipment, you’ll need one or two grill brushes, a tub to place the cooking grates in, and some cloth. For materials, you’ll want dishwashing soap, water, and a stainless steel cleaning agent.
You really don’t need the stainless steel cleaner if you don’t really mind your grill not having the same luster it once had. Also, one grill brush is completely fine, but if you’re working with someone else, then you’ll probably need two to make the process just a little faster.
Step 2: Heat the Grill
The next step is heating the grill up. You’ll want to close the grill lid and heat up the cooking grate to let any leftover food or crumbs burn away. Once it’s cooled down, you can proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Wash the Cooking Grate
Remove the cooking grate from your grill and submerge it in a mixture of water and dishwashing soap. While this is happening, you can start wiping the exterior of the grill with a damp cloth. If you have a stainless steel cleaner, you can also apply that to give the grill’s exterior a nice and shiny finish.
Note that you don’t really need to wash the grate at all - you could easily give the grate a good brushing if you don’t have time. However, if you really want to keep the grill clean and in top condition, washing the grate wouldn’t hurt, either.
Step 4: Scrub the Cooking Grate
With the grill brush, scrape the grate, removing any remaining substances or particles that may have still remained. The key is long, strong strokes, with the goal of removing particles rather than just moving them around. Once you’re done with that, leave the grate to dry.
Step 5: Reinstall the Cooking Grate
Finally, you can place the cooking grate back onto the grill itself. Be sure that it’s installed properly before using the grate again. You may also want to take this time to clean or wash your grill cover too, as it’s likely the outside of the cover is littered with dust and dirt.
