Does Vinegar Clean Grill Grates
Vinegar by itself can get the job done surprisingly well.
However, by adding baking soda, the mixture becomes much more effective.
Baking Soda adds an abrasive to the liquid and that makes scrubbing off charred bits and pieces a lot easier to accomplish.
Together, Vinegar and Baking Soda make an environmentally safe combination.
Vinegar plus Baking Soda is one of the best formulas for cleaning grill grates.
Choose Tools That Wont Scratch Your Grill
Whether youre giving your grill a once-over cleaning or a deep clean, youll need a few easy grill cleaning tools. Just make sure they wont hurt your grills finish or function.
Our team likes to use soft sponges and wooden scrapers. Plastic tools are OK as long as your grill is cooled down. In some cases, you may be able to use rougher scrubbing tools like a;premium quality grill brush;to scrape away debris from grates.
How To Clean Your Grill: Grill Grates Are Just The Start
Summer is here and it’s high time to get your BBQ grill ready to cook up a storm.
Outdoor grills get dirty in no time.;
A dirty grill is a dangerous fire hazard. All that built-up grease and grime buildup can cause nasty flare-ups, even full-blown fires. And besides being a threat to your life and home, a yucky, soiled grill won’t do any favors to food flavor either.; ;
There’s no need to panic, though. Here in this guide are simple steps to deep-clean, and maintain your grill properly. As a result, your food will taste better, and your grill will perform at its best, not to mention last longer. I serviced a propane-fueled grill for this article, but much of the advice I offer covers charcoal grills, pellet smokers and Kamado grills, too.
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For more on barbecue grills, don’t miss our picks for the best gas grills for 2020.
Also Check: How To Grill Bone In Pork Chops
What You Need To Clean Your Grill
Before you begin cleaning, make sure the grill is completely cool, including the grates, ash box, and all components. You can heat the grill for 15 minutes before you start cleaning it in order to burn off excess debris on the grates, but make sure to let it cool down until its warm, and use a grill brush to scrape off ash and loosened debris.
Note: Do not use oven cleaner on a grill or put any part of a grill in a dishwasher.
Home Products To Clean Grills
Look throughout your kitchen, and you will find items to clean your grill. Theres no need for cleaners that only work on your grill when you can clean with home products. Use these multi-taskers to get a spotless clean.
Distilled white vinegar: You may have used vinegar to clean your home before. Bring that bottle outside to get your grill spotless. Use an even mix of water to white vinegar to avoid that harsh smell and shake it up in a spray bottle. Be sure your grates are cool before you spray them with the solution. Saturate the racks of your grill, letting it sit for 10 minutes. Resting the solution allows the vinegar to break down grease and grime, since it is a de-greaser. Take a folded square of aluminum foil and spray it with more vinegar to rub the grates down. You dont even have to rinse the racks, since vinegar isnt dangerous to ingest.
Lemons or onions: Yes, the delicious additions you use to flavor your grilled food make a great DIY grill cleaner. If youve got half a lemon or onion, use it to clean your grill. Dip the lemon in some salt to give this homemade grill cleaner a scrubby boost. Only use salt if your grates have a lot of buildup, since it is an abrasive substance you dont want directly on your grills surface. Use tongs or a grill fork to hold the half of lemon or onion and carefully scrub away at warm grates. The acidity in either piece of produce will break down residue.
Also Check: What Is The Best Indoor Smokeless Electric Grill
Spraying With A Vinegar Solution
Why Is It So Important To Clean Grill Grates
When you cook your meals on a grill, the heat burns the fats and most of it drips to the surface of the grill.
The excess oil collects in the grill and forms a thick layer of grease.
The accumulated grease, other than harboring dirt and germs, could cause a fire when it comes into contact with burning flames.
The heated grill grates also burn the foods placed on them and some particles are left attached to it.
The pieces of food on the grill gates attract bacteria when the grill is left for some time without being used and this results in contamination.
Im pretty sure you dont want to serve your guests contaminated meals that will make them sick and the only way to prevent this from happening is by upholding cleanliness.
Now that you are aware of the need to keep your grill clean and free of germs, you are probably wondering how often you should do it.
Well, cleaning your grill thoroughly after every cookout is not always possible but you can at least clean the grates to remove the food particles attached to it before you;store the grill.
Here, I will teach you how to clean your grates with vinegar a natural cleaning agent.
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How Do I Clean A Greasy Bbq Grill
How To Clean A Dirty BBQ Grill
22.10.2020
Hacks To Clean Your Grill
- Steam: Fill a regular, metal tin from your kitchen with water and boil it on the grill. Push the tin to the side and begin scrapping with a bristle brush. The steam helps the grime come right off!
- Beer: Pour half a bottle of beer over the top of greasy grates on a warm grill. The beer will break down the oil and grease, and it will come right off when clean with a bristle brush.
- Vinegar: Put regular, household vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray vinegar all over the grill, then take a balled up piece of aluminum foil and use that as a bristle brush to scrape the grime right off.
- Onion: Cut an onion in half, put it on the end of your grilling fork and rub it all over the grill grates, then scrub with a bristle brush. The enzymes from the onion will help break down the oil and the grease.
And remember to be extra careful about loose brush bristles left behind on the grill a huge safety hazard. Barbecue brushes have caused an estimated 1,698 emergency room visits from 2002 to 2014, according to a study published in 2016 in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Experts suggest replacing your brush regularly, and inspecting both the grill grates and your food for lose bristles.
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Cleaning Your Grill Grates
Before you oil your grill grates, it’s important to;brush off any burned food particles;that might be left from the last time you barbecued.
The easiest way to do this is with a premium;nylon grill brush. A brush with Cool-Clean Technology like one from Char-Broil® is best. It allows you to clean off your grates without turning the grill on.
Simply scrub the grates until all burned food is removed.
Once you’re done, you’re ready to move on to oiling the grates.
Use An Onionto Season Grates
One of our favorite tricks is to cut an onion in half and rub down the tops of the rails of clean, hot grates. Onions contain many sulfur compounds that when heated, creates a super slick, rock-hard surface which is good to 1000°F before it degrades. Onions also contain antibacterial compounds that help keep your GrillGrates safe to cook on.
Cleaning Your Heat Shields Orceramic Briquettes
Depending on the model, your grill may use heat shields or ceramic briquettes. A heatshield or heat deflector is a piece of metal that sits over the burner todistribute heat. Ceramic briquettes look like little tiles, or stylized piecesof charcoal, all the same size and shape.
Its also possible that your grill has lavarocks little clumps of volcanic rock that look like charcoal. Lava rocks arehard to clean. Their porous surface absorbs grease, and theyll fall apart ifyou try to scrub them. If you have lava rocks, we recommend replacing them withceramic briquettes.
Ceramic briquettes are easy to clean with awire brush. Remove them, and scrub until any debris falls off. If you have a heatshield, spray it with a degreaser, then clean it with a wire brush or brillopad and wipe it clean with a cloth. Do not use water or degreaser on briquettes as they will crumble.
Both heat shields and ceramic briquettes willwear out eventually, so you should inspect them carefully as you clean. If yourbriquettes are starting to crumble when you clean them, its probably time toreplace them. However, cracks or nicks on a few briquettes shouldnt be aproblem. As long as theyre mostly intact, they should work fine.
Heat shields, on the other hand, are often thefirst thing to wear out on a grill. If your heat shields are rusty or warped,they cant disperse heat evenly, and may not protect the burner from drippingheat. That means its probably time to replace them.
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.
Can You Use Easy Off On A Grill
EASY-OFF® Fume Free Oven Cleaner can be used on BBQ grills although we recommend the use of EASY-OFF® Grill Cleaner. BBQ Grill cleaning: DO NOT USE ON GRILL EXTERIOR, INTERIOR OR COMPONENTS. Remove rack from grill and place on several layers of newspaper on a non-wood surface such as pavement or utility sink.
Things To Know Before You Start
Your stove grates are likely cast iron, so treat them with care to prevent damage. Avoid using steel wool or any metallic scouring pads to clean. Your best bet is to pair a heavy-duty brush, non-scratch nylon scrubber, or sponge with a cleaning product that scours, like powder cleanser or baking soda .
And it may go without saying, but if you use any harsh chemicals to clean your stove grates, always rinse with hot, soapy water. Prevent rusting by drying your grates before putting them back on your stovetop.
Grill Grate Cleaning Method: Store
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Rating: 3
The method: I used Mean Green Super Strength Cleaner & Degreaser, which says to spray on the surface, wipe clean, and rinse thoroughly. The label also says not to let the stuff dry before rinsing, so this is definitely not one of those spray-and-sit situations.
How it went: This was one of the most hands-on methods and, by far, the messiest. It did yield great results, but it took a lot to get to that point. While I was very happy with the grate after the cleaning, I did have lots of grease splatter marks on my shoes and pants! Id be willing to put in the effort if there wasnt an option that topped this one, which brings me to this next method
How To Clean A Beefeater Bbq
Beefeater also offers both types of BBQ gas and charcoal.
Beefeater General Cleaning Guide
For general cleaning and maintenance, Beefeater manuals advise on following these steps:
- Replace aluminium foil or absorbent material in drip tray at regular intervals to prevent grease build-up.
- Use hot soapy water on the barbecue fascia and avoid abrasive cleaners or brushes as these could damage the surface and graphics on the fascia. Clean the entire barbecue thoroughly at least twice annually to keep it in good operating condition.
- Keep cooking surfaces clean by removing all solid matter after use. A light coating of vegetable oil or vegetable cooking spray after each use will help to reduce surface rust and prolong plate and grill life.
- Burners: Check main opening, throat and venturi to each burner and pilot flame tube regularly for insect nests.
- Remove burners periodically and scrub clean with soapy water and a wire brush making sure that the ports are free of obstructions.
- For barbecues used near a marine environment however more frequent cleaning and servicing should be conducted.
Beefeater Porcelain and Stainless Steel BBQs
For porcelain enamel or stainless steel BBQ, the manufacturer recommends the universal cleaning method: clearing away all residues from the cooking surface, washing the grills with hot or warm water and dish liquid using a soft sponge and afterwards dry with a paper towel or cloth. And also adds a little bit more specific Beefeater suggestions:
How To Clean A Gas Grill
Grills take a lot of wear and tear over time.Extreme temperatures, buildups of grease, carbon and food debris, rust andenvironmental factors can all wreak havoc on your grill over time.
Frequently cleaning your grill will improvethe safety of your grill, taste of your food, cut down on extra smoke, and ensure your burners areburning clean and heat is being distributed evenly. It will also give you achance to inspect your grill from top to bottom, and make sure its in goodshape.
An important part to inspect is the grill manifold. The manifold is the pipe that holds the valves. On some grills you may need to remove the control panel to see the manifold. Spray some soapy water around the valves and along the manifold. If you see bubbles you may have a leak. If the steal pipe feels soft or has any holes, you do NOT want to proceed further. This must be replaced. Contact the manufacturer for availability.
Heres how to clean a gas grill in a few easysteps.
Before You Start Cleaning Grill Grates
Determine whether your grill grates are made of porcelain, cast iron or stainless steel. How you clean your grill grates and what products you use depends on what material the grates are made of. Keep these tips in mind before you start scrubbing.
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Porcelain grates: Porcelain grates are rust-resistant as long as the finish is intact. To clean, use a soft-bristled or nylon brush in lieu of rougher metal or wire brushes.
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Cast-iron grates: Cast-iron is tough so they can handle those stiff, wire brushes. However, they do rust easily, so we recommend rubbing the grates down with either vegetable or canola oil after cleaning.
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Stainless Steel grates: These grates are durable and dont require as much special care as porcelain or cast-iron grates. But, that doesnt mean they arent subject to rusting. To prevent rust, be sure to dry the grates completely before cleaning.
Benefits Of A Clean Bbq
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.
