Barbecue cleaning made easy

During the first part of the year, a tour of the garden leaves us contemplating the remains of the outdoor cooking activities of the last years. Our grills are often left out in the open, uncovered, and in many cases they have seen much better days.

It’s around this time of year that we start thinking about cooking our favorite barbecue food outdoors during the warmer months with our friends and family, but before we’re ready to start throwing charcoal and lighters on the barbecue, it’s time to turn around. our attention to cleaning our cookware to get things started in a hygienic way.

BBQ cleaning methods

Wire brushing

A stiff wire brush goes a long way to cleaning your grill. Simply scrub your rack thoroughly before and after each use. If you’ve used oil to coat your grill, cleaning the grill should be easy with just a brush. Brass bristle brushes are especially good for cleaning porcelain coated grates as they will not damage the porcelain.

Grill stones

Grill stones are specially designed to help remove grease and sticky food from the grill. They look like a large pumice stone with a handle for easy scrubbing and it is also an excellent heat convector such as volcanic rock, ceramic tile, etc. The main difference to a grill stone is that it does not have holes and due to this feature it greatly reduces the chance of flare-ups and poor cooking. Grill stones are capable of withstanding incredible heat, up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Grill stones are ideal for use on most grill shapes and sizes, as the design of the stones allows you to work with almost any grill format.

Ablaze

This is one of the most common methods of cleaning barbecue grills / grills. All you have to do is leave the barbecue on after cooking once all the food has been removed. Once you’ve done this for about a quarter of an hour, let the grill cool for about 5 minutes and then use an old trowel or flat piece of metal and gently scrape down both sides of the grill to remove any tough, sticky residue. . Keep in mind that ceramic grills can be damaged very easily if too much force is applied with sharp objects, so be careful with the tools you choose.

If you have an old metal kitchen utensil, like an egg flap, these are ideal tools to make the job safer and easier.

However, you must be careful that this method is not prohibited by the grill manufacturer so as not to accidentally void the warranty.

Make sure of your own safety if you use this method by wearing a suitable pair of oven mitts or special heat resistant gloves.

Soaking

If all else fails, soaking your racks in warm water will help loosen stubborn dirt and food debris. This can be good so that the edges of the racks, which are often difficult to scrub properly, are really clean.

Grease the grill

A good way to reduce the pain of cleaning a barbecue is to prevent the worst of the residue from sticking to the grill in the first place. To do this, coat your rack with a layer of oil before starting to cook. This will help prevent food from burning and sticking to the grill and will also make cleaning the grill much easier afterward. Remember to spray only oil on a cold grill. Spraying on a fire or hot grill will cause the oil to ignite and could cause serious injury.

Steam cleaning

If you use your barbecue multiple times throughout the year, why not invest in a steam cleaner? This will speed up the time it takes to clean your barbecue after use and can be very effective; So if you’re sick of scrubbing to remove barbecue residue, investing in a steam cleaner can go a long way and save time.

When you’ve finished cooking your food, soak an old newspaper in water and place it on top of your hot grill with the lid tightly closed. After about three-quarters of an hour, open the lid and wipe off the residue. Don’t let the newspaper sit on the grill rack for too long as it will dry out and create even more work for you.

Preventive measures to keep your barbecue clean

Using a lid on your barbecue

The number one way to help keep your barbecue clean is to simply purchase or make a cover to attach to your unit while not in use. To give your barbecue some protection from the elements, it is a good idea to cover it with a plastic sheet, or preferably with a cover from the manufacturer that is specifically designed to get the job done correctly, as they generally have a tighter fit and are more effective.

During the winter months you can also remove the grill and store it in a dry place away from moisture and the elements. This will slow down the rate at which rust forms, and you will benefit the most from doing this in conjunction with the lubrication method mentioned above.

This helps inhibit rust during the months when your barbecue is not used regularly.

The aluminum foil “tray”

Now that you have the basics of grill cleaning covered, you should turn your attention to cleaning the internal parts of the grill.

After several uses, a fair amount of dirt remains on the bottom that hasn’t particularly benefited from being left out in the elements. Over time, this build-up can become unsanitary and become an additional chore that you must deal with.

Charcoal grills suffer the most from this, and the best way to deal with this without spending a great deal of money is to first clean the inside of the barbecue properly by removing the hard and dry residue first with an old dustpan, brush. (something of us should have in the garage somewhere), and then remove any sticky grime from the grill edges with general household cleaners. There are many barbecue-specific cleaners available, although they can cost two to three times more than regular household cleaners. Feel free to give them a try, although from experience, regular cleaners do the job adequately.

Just spray a decent amount of the liquid and let it soak properly for about 10 minutes, then gently scrape off the worst of the build-up with a plastic scraper. Once you’ve gotten this far, you’re ready to place on your kitchen foil.

Use a decent quality kitchen paper, the thicker the better, and triple layer and twist the edges to look like a tray. Place this in the bottom of your grill and then add about a quarter inch deep layer of sand. This will help soak up the grease and excess juices that drip off the grill during cooking and make your life MUCH easier in the long run.

After several uses, simply remove the entire tray and discard it. Quickly brush and clean the inside of the grill, and insert another of your homemade aluminum foil trays to keep your barbecue clean for future uses.

If you don’t mind spending a little extra money you can use a catering tin foil tray and dispose of it after every few uses … just use common sense and dispose of it when it looks like it’s not in its prime anymore .

Another tip you can try is to grill the leftover coffee. Clean with a dry cloth. For a really good clean, spray the grill with your regular oven cleaner and leave it in a plastic garbage bag overnight. Hose it down the next day and you should have a gleaming grill ready to go.

You can also add vinegar or dishwashing lotion to the water for extra cleaning power.

Another widely used grill cleaning method is simply rubbing the grill in the sand. This will remove most of the fat, etc. Once you have done this, wash the grill with a hose. Depending on how caked the grill is, you may need to repeat this process 2 or 3 or times, but it is well worth the effort.

Gas taps often become difficult to use during the colder months, causing the plastic knobs to crack and, in the worst case, break. Remove the plastic knobs and spray the area with a light oil to loosen them. You can also try using a small amount of machine oil on each faucet and then coating them with a light grease to prevent the oil from escaping.

If one or more of your burners are not producing a strong blue flame, it may be because a gas jet has become clogged.

If you lift the burner off the barbecue, you will see little brass nozzles called venturis. These are like a small raised nut with a small hole through them. They can be removed simply with a small wrench. If you cannot remove the blockage, purchase new nozzles from a specialized dealer.

Insects tend to nest inside venturis when not in use and the openings can become blocked. Use a venturi brush to clean the venturi openings. If you’re not going to be using your grill for a long time, consider using some venturi covers to prevent something from getting in.

Reconnect gas supply and check connections by coating with a 1: 1 mixture of dishwasher liquid and water. Any gas supply failure will be easily spotted at this point and you know that you will have to do something to fix it. You can start by tightening the connections or replacing the seals, and if this doesn’t work, then you should either replace the faulty unit according to the manufacturer’s instructions or return it to your local service center.

Barbecues with wooden carts can be kept in good condition by re-greasing them once a year. All you have to do is lightly sand the cart with a high sandpaper and then use a suitable furniture oil or a specially formulated barbecue cart oil. This will not only soak up the oil stains on top of your cart, but it will also help prevent new stains from forming.

Volcanic rocks need care too, if you use them. Make sure to clean or renew them every year as they always get clogged with grease and oil. Remember to discard the old sand from the drip tray, clean the tray, and spray it with cooking oil before lining it with aluminum foil. Put fresh washed sand on the foil to help keep it clean.

If your volcanic rocks show signs of cracking, you can replace them, you may consider replacing them with porcelain briquettes. These disc-shaped “rocks” are less porous than volcanic rocks and are considerably easier to keep clean.

If you live near the sea or in an area where the density of salty air is high, keep in mind that you will need to take more time and take precautions to ensure that your grill is not unduly subjected to the elements that will invariably lead to faulty components and rust. .

Wash the exterior surface periodically with fresh water and dry immediately for best results.