How To Clean Your Barbecue Grill

Scraping The Grill Clean

How to Clean Your Grill

To get food residue off the barbecue grill a good scraper will be your best friend.

We turn the grill on high after the food is removed to help burn off any residue. You can do this either before or right after you have cleaned the still-warm grill.

It turns any remaining bits to ash which can be later wiped away. If you are using charcoal and dont have that kind of temperature control, just put the lid on after removing the food to help dislodge the build up before trying to clean it after its cooled down.

Clean Grill With Onion

Onion is popular for its antiseptic properties. It can kill bacteria fast and efficient. Now, it is known to be an effective cleaning agent for BBQ grill without using harmful chemicals and leaves a great smell on your grills.

What You Need:

  • Get one onion and peel.
  • 2Place it on the end of the BBQ fork.
  • 3With your wire brush, run it over the grill.
  • 4Heat up the BBQ grill.
  • 5Continue running the onion into your grill until it is gone.

How To Clean Bbq Burners

Preparation:

Turn the gas supply off and disconnect the gas tank. Remove all the BBQ parts blocking the access to the burners grill, grates, any trays or containers. Remove the burners.

Warning:

For the actual cleaning:

Brush off any dirt and food debris from the burner tube using a stainless brush or scrub. For clogged ports, you can use drill bit, toothpick or cleaning rod. For infrared ceramic burners, turn the heat on maximum to burn away all residues.

Warning:

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How To Clean Ziegler & Brown Bbq

The product range of Ziegler & Brown consists only of gas BBQs. As for the cleaning of the Ziggy grills, the manufacturer advice is:

  • Scraping the excess food, burn off at high temperature and washing with warm water for cast iron grill and plates
  • Wipe with paper towel and soaking in water with dishwashing liquid for non-stick cooking service and aluminium hotplates
  • 5-minute burn off on HIGH and unclogging the holes with a toothpick for the burners
  • Wiping with warm soapy water for other surfaces

Ziegler & Browns Burn off method

  • Light the burner, set to the HIGH position and leave running with the hood fully open for approximately 5 minutes.

Cleaning product recommended by the manufacturer: Bar-B-Chef Heavy Duty BBQ Cleaner.

More maintenance information Detailed guides for all Ziegler & Brown BBQs.

How To Keep Your Grill Clean

How to Clean a Barbecue Grill
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To love grilling is to love your grill.

Like any good relationship, you need to put some work into the one you have with your grillluckily the time spent keeping a happy grill is minimal and the payback for the effort is enormous. It doesn’t matter if you’re dealing with a top-of-line model or a cheap knock-off, with proper maintenance, any grill is bound to keep you cooking for a good-long time.

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When Should You Clean Your Grill

Every 6 months. Every 6 months you should do a thorough cleaning of your grill. If youre a regular griller than it is important to do a deep clean and inspection of your grill. This involves disassembling the grill down to the burners, inspecting the gas flow, checking for signs of rust on your grill grates, and more.

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Clean The Cavity Of The Bbq

  • Remove big deposits of food particles or grease and then clean the inside with warm, soapy water and a sponge.
  • Rinse and dry with a lint-free cloth.
  • Use a flat metal tool, such as a putty knife or a paint scraper, to remove large grease deposits.
  • Empty and clean the drip tray and replace any drip-tray liners ready for the next time you use your BBQ.

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How Often Should You Clean A Grill

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With the onset of summer, you can see a number of people having frequent barbecue cookouts in their backyards. Although, a weekend barbeque sounds quite appealing, however, you need to be assured that the grill is both clean and safe to use. If you have a grill and plan to cook food, then this article is a definite read for you.

How often should you clean a grill? Typically the grill must be cleaned after every use, irrespective of whether youre dealing with a top-of-the-line model or a cheap one. It is recommended that cleaning after every-use will improve your grills cooking performance.

However, it is not that simple. Every part of the grill like the grates, flavorized bars, burner tubes , and even the firebox, are prone to get a buildup of grease and fat residue. This calls for a thorough cleaning and maintenance to ensure proper functioning. Moreover, both gas and charcoal grills require a different cleaning process.

How To Grill Without Smoke

How to clean your BBQ Grill | Tip | BBQ Pit Boys

There are a few different ways that you can grill without smoke. The first way is to use a covered grill.

If you have a covered grill, simply close the lid, and the smoke will not escape.

This is a great option if youre grilling something small like chicken breasts or hamburgers.

If you dont have a covered grill, you can still grill without smoke by using a pan.

Place your meat in a pan and set the pan on the grill. This will help to prevent the smoke from escaping.

If you are having trouble with both of these methods, you can try using a chimney starter.

A chimney starter is a device that helps to start your charcoal without using lighter fluid. Once the coals are hot, you can place them on the grill and start cooking.

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Dirty Grills Pose Health Concerns

Its true that preheating a grill probably kills any bacteria, but thats not the only health concern.

When the grills heat hits greasy buildup on dirty grill grates, it can produce a chemical tied to colorectal cancer. That process also leads to grill flare-ups which can overcook if not ruin your food.

Cleaning Grill Grates: Porcelain Grates

Cleaning grill racks made from porcelain requires care. The material is fragile and easy to damage with harsh scraping. For porcelain grates, check your manufacturers instructions.

  • Warm water

Use a nylon scrubber on porcelain rather than a brass brush, which can scrape away the top of the grates coating. A curved brush gets between the grating and cleans better. Scrape diagonally, starting close to you and moving up and out.

Try scraping in a single direction to reduce damage. Flip the cooled grill over to scrape the grime on the underside. Excess build up often accumulates outside of the grill, so this side may take considerably longer to clean.

Hot water and dish soap clean stuck-on gunk off the outside of the grill nicely. Keep scrubbing until the grate appears clean.

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How To Clean Rusty Grill Grates

No one wants to eat food thats been cooked on rusty grill grates. Not only is it unappetizing, but cooking on rusty surfaces can also allow bacteria to enter the food. But the good news is that you can clean rust off your grill grates in just a few simple steps.

Tools and Materials Needed:

Collect all of the necessary cleaning supplies before heading outside to your grill.

Step 2: Make a Paste

After placing your rubber gloves on, make a thick paste of baking soda and vinegar in the plastic bowl by stirring the two ingredients together, adding small amounts of each until the mixture resembles the consistency of toothpaste.

How To Clean A Charcoal Bbq

How to Clean a Barbecue Grill

If you have a charcoal BBQ, you need to deep-clean it at least once a year. Even more often, if youre using it regularly. Carbon and ash can accumulate from the barbecues frequent usage, which can be extremely dangerous for your health.

Clean the grill grate and the charcoal grate. Remove the ash and clean the bottom of the BBQ and the tray. Reassemble the BBQ back and leave it to air dry before putting it away.

Follow the step-by-step process of how to clean a charcoal BBQ:

  • Find a nice place outside your home.Things may get messy. Therefore, its a good idea to do this outside of the house.
  • Removing the grill grateIf it possible, remove the grill grate. This will make your job a lot easier.
  • Clean the grill grateThe grill grate can be cleaned by using a long-handled stiff-wire brush. If you dont have a brush you can use a ball of aluminium foil held with long-handled tongs.
  • Protect the grill gratesnce the grate is clean, apply vegetable oil, using folded paper towels or a rag. This coating of oil will help prevent food from sticking to the grate the next time you cook. Also, it will prevent rust.
  • Remove any leftover ash from the base of the grillToo much ash build up can obstruct the vents at the bottom of the grill, making it difficult to control the temperature during cooking. Removing the charcoal grate at the base , will make getting the last of the ash out easier.
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    Clean The Outside Of The Grill With Vinegar

    You can also use vinegar to clean the exterior of your grill. If you don’t want it to smell like vinegar for days on end, it’s best to go with the diluted solution.

  • Instead of using aluminum foil to scrub, just use a standard cotton cloth.
  • Spray the solution on the cloth instead of directly on the grill, so it’s easier to make sure you hit every area.
  • Use a cotton swab to take care of any tight spots.
  • How To Clean The Outside Of A Grill

    For the most part, cleaning the outside of a grill is much simpler than cleaning the inside of a grill. After all, the outside of a grill doesnt see all the food and grease that the grill grates or cooking surface do. Still, spills always happen and outside elements like dust and rain can dirty up the outside of the grill.

    The best way to clean a grill on the outside is to wipe it down with hot, soapy water and a sponge, rinse it off, and dry thoroughly with a clean towel.

    For stubborn grease stains on the outside of a grill, try making a paste of baking soda and waterthree parts baking soda to one part water and rub the paste onto any grease stains. Let it sit for up to fifteen minutes, then wipe away with a clean, damp sponge or towel. You can also use a food-safe degreaser. Just spray it on, let it soak in for a few minutes, and wipe away the grease and cleaner with a clean sponge or towel.

    Photo via Home Repair Tutor

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    Clean The Lid And Grills

    • Use a stainless-steel grill brush to remove carbonised grease from the inside of the lid and the cooking grills.
    • Remove the grills and flavouriser bars of gas BBQs, then wash these and the lid with warm soapy water and a non-scratch sponge pad.

    Avoid a build-up of carbonised grease on the BBQ lid by wiping over with a damp rag while it’s still warm to remove moisture and debris.

    Caring for metal and painted surfaces

    • Clean stains from painted lids with warm soapy water and polish up with a mild glass cleaner and lint-free cloth.
    • Use a mild stainless-steel cleaner on the metal parts of the lid or metal shelves.
    • Clean with a side-to-side motion in the direction of the metal grain and then buff until shiny.

    Benefits Of A Clean Bbq

    How to Clean your Barbecue Racks and Grills ~ Oven and Grill Cleaner Healthy Cleaning

    We all know many health benefits of cooking your food on the grill, from the fact that you use and therefore eat less fat through the fact that the meat retains its nutrients and all the way to the fact that grilled vegetables are better for your health, as they have more vitamins and minerals. However, a few people consider the even bigger benefits of grilling on a clean BBQ.

    Its good for your health.

    The most important benefit, of course, is the healthy one. Regularly cleaning your BBQ removes build up bacteria in your grill, which can be transferred to your food. More importantly, it removes harmful carcinogens.

    A clean barbecue is a safe one.

    Another crucial reason is the safety one. A clean BBQ reduces the chance of fire. When youre cleaning the BBQ, youre also inspecting its parts, and thus, you can prevent dangerous gas leaks from worn out parts.

    It smells better.

    The same goes for the smell. Just as you wouldnt want your vegetables to taste like steak, you wouldnt want them to smell like a stake, either. Even worse than a stake smell is that smoky, rancid grease smell. Dont you think that your family and your guests deserve better than that?

    It tastes better.

    It prevents pest infestation.

    A dirty grill attracts bugs and rodents. Considering that Australia is a country well-known for its many pests, we suppose you wouldnt want to attract even more. prevents an infestation, always keep your grill clean.

    Improves the look of the BBQ.

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    Baking Soda And Scour Sponge Grate Cleaning

    If you have porcelain or enamel grill grates, this is the method for you. Metal such as a wire brush or aluminum foil can scratch the finish of coated grill grates, so using a scour sponge or nylon bristle brush is best. Dont worry though, the power of ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda will help dissolve and abrade the charred on food bits to get your grill grates clean.

    • Remove the stainless steel grate from the grill and place on a flat surface.
    • Moisten the grill grate with water.
    • Sprinkle ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda liberally over the stainless steel grates and let sit for 10 minutes.
    • Using a damp scourer sponge, scrub the grate going up and down each wire.
    • Rinse with water and return the grate to the grill.

    How To Clean Your Grill Lightly After Each Use

    Step 1: Burn off excess grease and any food residue left on the grill. To do this, turn on all the burners and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the unit.

    Why should you do this?

    Well, as the grill heats up, all food residues will transform into ash, making it easy to clean with a stainless steel bristle brush.

    Step 2: Clean the exterior of the grill using a cloth dipped into mild soapy water. Then buff the exterior with a dry, clean cloth.

    Done!

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    Other Parts Of The Grill That Must Be Cleaned Frequently

    • Flavor bars

    Flavorizer bars play an active role in the grilling process. They help in directing grease and drippings away from the burner tubes, which ultimately results in reduced flare-ups. Moreover, these bars help to add an extra flavor to the food, as the dripped marinade and sauces are vaporized and added again into the food.

    Therefore, the cleaning of flavorizer bars is essential to ensure the proper functioning of the grill. These bars need to be replaced only after they show any signs of corrosion. It is recommended to carry out a thorough cleaning at least once a month, depending on the grill usage.

    • Lower interior and burner

    Experts recommend that your grill requires a deep cleaning only twice a year. However, the frequent use of grills can result in the accumulation of large amounts of grease and carbon being deposited on the walls of the grill. This means that in some cases the grill might need to be deep cleaned after every couple of years.

    You must always remember that if you have a gas grill, then the cleaning of the burners must be an important part of your cleaning routine. Make sure to get yourself a separate grill brush especially for this purpose. The burners can be cleaned by simply running a grill brush over them. This will definitely prevent the burner jets from getting blocked.

    S For Cleaning A Grill With Vinegar And Aluminum Foil

    How To Clean A BBQ Grill In 10 Easy Steps

    Finding those materials wasn’t hard, was it? Since you’ve got everything you need, dive right into these steps for getting your grill spotless.

  • Pour two cups of vinegar into the spray bottle.
  • Add two cups of water on top of it.
  • Put the lid on the bottle and shake it vigorously to mix the water and vinegar together.
  • Spray the water/vinegar solution on the grill racks and the area above and underneath them to saturation.
  • Let the solution dry for 10 minutes.
  • While the grill dries, pour out any extra water/vinegar solution and refill the bottle with vinegar only.
  • Fold the aluminum foil until you have a small square of approximately two inches across in each direction.
  • Spray the vinegar on the foil and use it to scrub the grill’s interior. No rinsing is required.
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    How To Clean The Briquette Or Ash Tray

    • Keep a metal bucket with a lid next to the grill, and dump the ashes and spent coals into it when everything has cooled down. Store the bucket somewhere where it wont get wet.
    • Transfer the collected ash to the garbage when the bucket is full. Make sure that there are no coals still burning. Ash disposal becomes even easier if you use lump charcoal, since it creates comparatively little ash as compared to briquettes.

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