Remove Grill Rust With Baking Soda
Baking soda is a fantastic natural cleaner that can be used to remove grease and grime from the BBQ grill. Start by removing as much rust from the grate as you can with a soft brush.
Then place the grate back onto the BBQ. Sprinkle the baking soda generously onto the grate and turn the BBQ on.
The heat from the BBQ will make the baking soda bubble, this process will eliminate the rust from the grill. Once the baking soda has finished bubbling, turn the grill off and leave the BBQ to cool down. Then use a soft brush to clean away the remaining baking soda and rust.
Baking soda is a powerful little cleaning product and can even be used to clean your oven, you can find the homemade oven cleaner recipe here.
Clear The Burner Tubes
If you have a gas grill, one part that often gets clogged are its burner tubes. One symptom of dirty burners is reduced flame size. They may also burn with an orange color instead of the usual blue. Both indicate abnormally low temperatures and an underpowered grill.
Typically a gas grill has multiple burner tubes, though some may have only one. Use a nylon or steel wire brush to gently clean the small holes on the tubes. Be sure to brush from the center of the tube outward, moving sideways . Otherwise you may push debris into the tube or holes themselves instead of clearing them.
Use a metal scraper instead of a steel brush with bristles.
Open It Up Pull It Apart
First, you’ll need to open the grill and remove its various parts. This way, you’ll be able to access the main grill chamber. Typically sitting below the grates, this is where heavy food particles tend to fall and grease drippings land.
Start with a cold grill. Open the hood, remove the grill grates and set them aside. Some propane gas models also have one or multiple metal heat diffusers that rest over the burners. If your grill has them, take those out, too.
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How To Clean Cast Iron Grill Grates
This is going to sound obvious, but cannot be overstated: The best way to keep your grill clean and rust-free is to give it a good cleaning immediately after every use.
Once youve finished cooking and removed your food, open all vents if using charcoal, or turn up your grill to high if using gas and then close the lid to allow the grill to get hot.
This way youre able to burn off much of your stuck on food and barbecue sauce.
Once youve burned off your food, you can either close your vents to extinguish your charcoal or turn off your gas to allow the grill to cool to a point where its comfortable to put your hand in to clean.
While your grill is still warm, scrape the grates with a good grill brush.
A brush with a scraper is excellent here as youre able to scrape any remaining food off your grates easily.
After cleaning your cast iron grates and making sure theyre dry, you now want to apply a very thin coating of vegetable oil to help prevent rust from forming.
Just a wipe with a cloth or piece of kitchen towel lightly dabbed in oil is sufficient. Youre looking to apply a thin film, not coat your grates heavily.
Also See
Prevent Rust On Grill Grates

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Can I Put My Cast Iron Grill Grates In The Dishwasher
Why You Shouldnt Clean Your Grill Grates in the Dishwasher
For starters, if your grates are made of cast iron or steel, they are highly likely to rust from a spin in the dishwasher. Stainless steel and porcelain enamel grates wont rust. Additionally, some grates could warp from the heat of the dishwasher.
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Dealing With Rust And Mold
Make sure you put the lid back on your cooker when it is not being used. You also need to open the top and bottom vents so that there is airflow through the cooker. This will ensure that condensation does not build up inside the cooker and cause rust or mold issues.
If you need to store your grates for some time, it is advisable to heavily coat them in cooking oil, and wrap them in a plastic bag. You can then store them inside your cooker if you wish.
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Chrome / Nickel Plated Wire Grates
If you own a standard Weber grill, youve seen these shiny cheap grates before. They work well for a while but after a couple of good years of service, theyre ready to toss out. The plating eventually comes off and they tend to rust quickly. Not too much loss, but then again theyre made to be replaced. These grates work excellent since the grate is thin enough to get a good sear on your meat.
Weber/Kettle Grill Hinged Grates
How To Makeover A Charcoal Grill
In short? Order some stuff. But first theres some prep work. Start by tossing your old grill grates and ash pan. No one needs that kind of negativity in their lives.
Thats it! Order these parts and you are done.
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Why We Dont Like Brushes For Cleaning Grates
Everybody thinks that wire brushes work best, but in reality, they can be dangerous if not used properly. You need to use a scraper to knock down the dried-up stuff that a wire brush cant do easily. Like brushing your teeth huh? Not really, since little wire hairs can snap off and stick to the greasy spots you cant get to. You wont see it there until it gets in your food. Sending your BBQ guests to the hospital is never part of the plan.
Only use a wire brush after youve scraped off all the grease and given the grill a good inspection. Dip your wire brush into water before doing any scrubbing after the grill is free from oil and junk. If the grill is still hot, the water will vaporize and causes steam to remove anything left-over. This will also prevent little wires from sticking to the grill surface too as theyll drop down into the grill bed.
Deep Cleaning And Maintenance
After youve cooked the last burger of the season, thoroughly clean your grill before storing it for the winter. Remove the grates, burner hoods, and grease pan, and scrub them with hot, soapy water and a plastic scour pad. Do the same inside the firebox and lid. Thoroughly rinse and dry all parts before reassembling. Also, remove the battery from the igniter before storing your grill long-term so it doesnt corrode.
Even if you follow the strictest cleaning and maintenance schedule, you will have to replace some parts on your grill as it ages. The burner hoods and cooking grates in particular take a lot of abuse and arent meant to last forever. My dad replaced these parts on his 17-year-old Weber Genesis four to five times over the years.
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How To Care For Cast
At Char-Griller, we really like cast-iron for grill grates. They hold heat efficiently and evenly and there is nothing quite like a good sear on cast iron.
Unlike stainless steel grates, cast iron grates do need a little more care. Heres how to care for your cast-iron grill grates so you can keep grilling at your best.
First thing’s first, cast-iron grates and porcelain coated grates are NOT the same thing. This guide is for cast-iron grill grates not porcelain coated grill grates. Alright, now that we have that out of the way, lets get going.
Are Rusty Grates Ok If So How Much Rust

A little rust is ok since all metal surfaces can oxidize with the right conditions. Even foggy weather will make this happen and you can get a light rusty coating that is easy to clean off. But if you go full Titanic mode and see rust taking on a life of its own, your metal might be too damaged. Seeing big rust chunks is not a good sign and that means theres also a water or moisture problem.
Metal grills naturally react with water and start to break down like everything else. Keep your grill covered and away from moisture.
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The Obvious Approach: Brushing
This method works best if it is done immediately after grilling while the grate is still hot. Before the grates cool off, scrape each grate with a brush, both top and bottom sides. You can also dip the brush in water which will create a steam that loosens the grease. Not only will this make cleaning time shorter, but it will discourage insects from hanging around your grill. Depending on your grate you may need to wipe them down with a cloth after scrapping.
Cleaning Porcelain Grill Grates The Right Way
Porcelain grill grates are metal grill racks coated with heavy porcelain. The metal cores consist of either iron or steel, with iron being the preferred material. Iron heats up faster and hotter than steel and provides an ideal cooking surface when coated with porcelain. Manufacturers often use steel in less expensive grills. Both metals are coated with a heavy layer of porcelain. This creates an ideal grill grate – easy to heat, easy to clean. However, after many uses, porcelain grill grates need a good cleaning.
Sometimes all it takes to clean your grates is a little elbow grease.
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Cleaning Grill Grates With A Brush And A Scraper
The simplest way to clean grill grates is using a brush and scraper. You can find grill cleaning brushes at most hardware stores or even local grocery stores. This provides a way to remove leftover food particles and any cooking residue while your grill is still warm after cooking.
Regularly using a grill brush and scraper will help to prolong the lifespan of your grill grates to ensure better grilling performance and safer usage.
Of course, not all grill brushes are the same quality. The best grill brushes and scrapers have wire bristles that can tackle both gas and charcoal grills. However, if you have porcelain grill grates, you should not use a metal brush. Youll need a brush with nylon bristles that will not cause damage to the coating. Once you have a good brush, the technique is quite straightforward.
Wait until the grill is still warm. You dont want it too hot or you risk burning yourself, but it should be warm enough so any leftover food or grease is still soft for easier removal. Use an up and down motion with the side of your grill brush to start cleaning. Try to use the same direction to minimize damage to the protective coating on your grates.
Rotate the brush to get between the side of the grates and clean all sides. You can dip your brush in some soapy water as you scrub. Regular dish soap will help to dissolve any grease.
How To Clean A Char Broil Infrared Grill
Infrared grills can reduce cooking times and may cook foods more thoroughly. The Char-Broil infrared grill heats foods evenly due to a constant heat source. Emitter plates under the grates provide the constant heat needed to cook the food but they can become dirty after a while. The grill grates and plates on the infrared grill should be cleaned after each use to keep them in good condition. If you allow dirt, grease and debris to remain on the grill grates, they may need to be replaced.
Turn the grill burners to high. Close the lid on the gas grill.
Allow the grill to heat for 15 minutes.
Scrub the grill grates with an infrared grill brush.
Turn over the infrared grill brush. Scrub the grill with the metal scraper on the back of the brush.
Allow the grill grates to cool. Remove the grates from the grill.
Brush the emitter plates under the grates with a wire grill brush. Scrape on the plates to remove any hard-to-remove debris.
Replace the grill grates. Spray the infrared grill grates and emitter plates with high-heat cooking oil.
References
Tips
Warnings
- Avoid using abrasive cleaners to clean an infrared grill because they can scratch and damage the surface.
Writer Bio
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How To Oil Your Grill Grates
Youve got a beautiful piece of salmon on the grill. But when you try to take it off, it sticks to the grates and it breaks apart. You can prevent this food tragedy by cleaning and oiling your grill before or after each use. By doing so, youll be able to flip food more easily and create those stunning grill marks that make food look so appetizing. Learn how to properly clean and oil a grill grate with these tips.
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Baked Beetroot, Lentil and Feta Salad,” “Sardines Grilled in Vine Leaves,” “Beer-Braised Smoky Pork Ribs,” and ‘Grilled Stone Fruits with Rosemary and Rose Syrup.” I was drawn to the recipe for “Patlican Kebabs ” because of the striking image of the long metal skewers threaded completely with lamb meatballs and large segments of eggplant.
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How To Clean Grill Grates

Cleaning your grill grates will help reduce rust buildup and ensure tasty food when you grill. You want to scrape your grates after each use, but you should also do a deep cleanse at least once a year. Cleaning doesnt have to be a chore, but depending on what type of grill grates youre using you want to be careful how you clean them.
Porcelain grill grates hold heat well and are rust-resistant, but you want to keep them cleaned and cared for. Any chips or scrapes in the porcelain will expose the metal underneath and allow water to seep in, which can create rust. So when cooking with metal tools be careful not to scrape or nick the grates. When cleaning porcelain grill grates, dont use metal or wire brushes. Use a soft bristle or a nylon grill brush. Burn off any food leftover on the grates. Then let the grates cool and scrub them with the nylon cleaning brush.
Cast iron grill grates are very durable, tolerate high temperatures and create an even cooking surface. They are tough and can withstand just about anything except water iron is prone to rusting. When cleaning cast iron grates, burn off any food left over on the grates. Then let the grates cool and scrub them with the nylon cleaning brush. After cleaning the grates, dry and saturate the grates with vegetable oil to prevent rust from forming.
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Tips On Keeping You Infrared Grill Clean
Here are some essential tips on how to clean infrared grills and keep them in working order.
Clean your infrared grill at least twice a year. Make sure to clean your grills electric or gas heating element by removing food debris, grease , or ash with steel wool or wire brush. You may need to clear out any obstructions in the burners openings in the case of gas grills.
If your infrared grill has a cooking grate, remove it to clean it. If its made of metal, use a stiff wire brush to whisk both sides of the grate to remove debris. If your grate is made of cast iron or coated with porcelain, use a grill brush with soft nylon bristles to avoid etching the surface. After cleaning, apply some elbow grease.
Brush off any food debris or ash on the infrared heating surface and use a mild, non-abrasive chemical cleaner to remove stubborn deposits on the heating surface.