Having family and friends over for a BBQ is one of the best ways to spend the weekend. And a clean and well-maintained BBQ can ensure your meals are delicious and cooked evenly. Cleaning a BBQ is a simple process that involves scrubbing, soaking and drying different parts. BBQ’s and Outdoor have years of experience providing quality barbeques and BBQ accessories. In this article, we share our comprehensive guide on how to clean a BBQ.
How to clean a BBQ
There are several parts to a BBQ that require regular cleaning. The grills, cook box, lid and burners are some of the more important parts you should keep clean. Having clean components such as burners can ensure the flames are spread evenly throughout your barbeque. Your BBQ can provide you with magnificent meals if you make sure to clean it.
Below we take a closer look at how to clean a BBQ:
Replace drip/dry pan
Be sure to check your drip tray and dry pan as grease can build up over time. If the pan is full of grease then you should remove and replace it. Drip and dry pans are typically made from aluminium and are easy to replace. For BBQ’s with a large drip pan, we would suggest using Fat Absorbent to assist in absorbing grease and fat.
Clean the cook box
The cook box refers to the shell of the bbq. Your BBQ grill, plates, burners and food will all be inside the cook box. Monitoring the level of grease build-up in your BBQ cook box is important. High levels of grease can result in a BBQ fat fire. The best accessory you can use for cleaning a cook box is a scrapper, such as the Weber Cook Box Scraper. Simply lift the grills and place them somewhere safe. Proceed to use the cook box scraper to scrape the grease towards the drip tray at the bottom of your BBQ. It is important to note that you should only use the scraper when the BBQ is cold.
Clean grills
The food you cook in your BBQ will be resting on grills, which can get a lot of grease and fat build-up. To clean the grills of your BBQ simply place your grills in warm soapy water and start scrubbing! The best accessory you can use for scrubbing grills is a 3 Sided Grill Brush. After giving your grills a good scrub, rinse them and let them dry before you use them again.
Clean burners
Cleaning your burners is one of the most important parts of the process. If the flames are not coming out of every hole in your burner, then it is time to give them a clean. Grab a 3 Sided Grill Brush and rub back and forth across the burner tube. For stubborn grease in the burner tube holes, you can use a paperclip to clear any blockages.
Clean the inside of the lid
The lid of your BBQ can become quite greasy and dirty as many of your meals may sizzle while cooking. To clean the inside of your BBQ lid, simply wipe the lid using a microfibre cloth with some warm soapy water. There are several cleaning products available that can be very effective. Keep in mind that some products may not be suitable for a cooking area.
Methods for cleaning stainless steel grills
If you’re wondering how to clean a BBQ, it is important to understand that there are two main types of grills and cooktops. The two materials used for cooktops in BBQ’s are cast iron and stainless steel. Whilst the method for cleaning these two grills are very similar, there are a few differences.
Below we share some methods on how you can clean your stainless steel grills:
Vinegar
Vinegar can dissolve burnt food while gently cleaning your grills. To clean with vinegar, first, let your barbecue grill cool off. Then dilute two cups of vinegar with two cups of water and pour it into a spray bottle. Now you can spray your stainless steel grill with vinegar. Make sure you give the grill a good soaking and cover all sides. Once the solution has been sitting on the grill for around 10 minutes, you can begin scrubbing. Using folded aluminium foil to scrub your grill can reduce the chances of any potential scratches.
Burning
One method for cleaning your stainless steel grills is to burn off debris. Turn up the flames and burn off any food and dirt on your grills. While the grill is still hot, use a grill brush to scrub off any remaining debris. Once the BBQ grill grates have cooled down, use a microfibre cloth or rag soaked in warm soapy water to wipe the grills. Alternatively, you can use the vinegar solution mentioned above, instead of hot soapy water.
Soaking
Some stainless steel grills that haven’t been cleaned in a decade (we’ve all been there), may require some overnight soaking. When soaking stainless steel grills overnight, you can use two cups of vinegar mixed with one cup of baking soda. Once they have had a thorough soaking, be sure to rinse and dry the grills before their next use.
Maintaining your BBQ
Most barbecues are used outdoors and therefore left outside all year long. Your barbecue, exposed to the elements, may oxidize and get rusty. Cover your barbecue with a special cover made for its shape to keep your grill dry.
The best maintenance for your BBQ is regular cleaning! Grills, burners, cook boxes, and several other components can get extremely dirty over time. By cleaning and maintaining your barbeque, it can last you generations and provide you with quality feasts.
How BBQs & Outdoor can help
If you’ve ever asked yourself how to clean a BBQ, then we hope this article has given you enough information to restore your BBQ to its pristine state. To get the best cooking out of your BBQ, be sure to perform regular cleans!
BBQ’s and Outdoor have a dedicated team that lives and breathes barbecues. We strive to provide a wide range of BBQ and outdoor products, from BBQ accessories to BBQ spare parts. There is something for everyone at BBQ and Outdoor, whether you have to cook for an entire school or just a handful of close friends.
Contact us to find out more!
