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Whether you use your BBQ year-round or are just taking off the cover for the spring & summer season, now is the perfect time of year to clean your grill. Who better to help us than the experts at HGTV – their step-by-step guide to clean your BBQ lays it all out for us.
Safety first
Before you start bringing out all your fancy cleaning tools, you want to make sure everything is turned off or disconnected. Double-check that the gas line is turned off or that the propane tank is disconnected.
The Grill
Now that you know your BBQ is safe, you want to tackle the grill.
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You’ll want a pair of work gloves when you’re dealing with the grill to protect you from metal slivers and all that greasy gunk. These non-slip, waterproof gloves will do the trick and will be great to use around the backyard all summer long.
Next, you’ll want to remove the grill, grates, grease pan and other removable metal pieces. Then just fill up a large bucket with a squirt of dish soap and hot water and let the parts sit for at least 10 minutes. This Dawn power wash soap is what we use – it’s great for fighting grease. You can even spray it directly on the surface before soaking.
Get scrubbing
Our friends at HGTV recommend placing a piece of aluminum foil over the BBQ’s heating elements to protect them from falling debris.
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Then, the real work begins. Use a metal-bristled grill brush and start scrubbing under the hood, the sides – anywhere that looks dirty! A bit of elbow grease will go a long way.
Wipe down
The hard work is done. Now it’s time to wipe away all that loose dirt, grease and grime. Just wet a couple of cloths and wipe down the sides and hood, clearing away any carbon build-up, ash and rust that’s come loose while scrubbing.
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Next, you’ll want to take the grates and grill out of your soapy water mixture and find a clean space to lay them down. Then take your grill brush and scrape away any stubborn residue. It should be easy to remove since it’s been soaking for a while.
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Start spraying!
The kids will like to help with this step.
Grab your garden hose and spray down the metal pieces to get rid of all the soap and then take your cloths and wipe down the water so no rust starts to form. This hose is a great one for the backyard because it expands when you’re using it but then it doesn’t take up much space when not in use.
A clean tray
You should replace your grease drip pan a few times a year. You don’t want to wait until it starts to overflow!
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A final sweep
Everything is sparking clean, now just grab a heavy-duty broom and sweep the base of the BBQ and surrounding area to get any reaming debris out of the way.
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