Safety Tip About Using Chemicals To Remove Rust
Always read the labels very carefully to make sure that ANY product you choose can be used on grills.
Some chemicals leave nasty invisible residues that are not stable when heated, and should also never be in contact with food surfaces.
Using a generic rust remover will coat your grill in harmful chemicals that will transfer to your food.
This is toxic and dangerous.
While you can make your own safe, overnight rust removing solution as described below, another option for MUCH FASTER results we like to use to remove existing rust is Evapo-Rust.
Cleaning Grill Grates To Remove Rust Build Up
While cleaning a grill with a commercial rust remover is always an option, this may not be something you have on hand at any given moment.
Luckily, there are many items you have around your home that clean away leftover food and get rust off a grill efficiently. Many of these items are not only effective cleaners but cost-efficient as well.
How To Clean Rusty Grill Grates Using White Vinegar
One of the best benefits of cleaning with vinegar is its ability to dissolve grease and loosen rust with its natural properties. Adding salt to the cleaning solution provides extra abrasion to improve the cleaning action.
- Garden hose
Pour the vinegar and salt into a bowl and stir to dissolve the salt. Place a large, heavy duty garbage bag on the ground and place the grill grate inside the bag. To get the rust off a grill, pour the vinegar mixture over the surface of the grating and tie the bag shut.
Allow it to sit overnight while the cleaner works on loosening the rust. Remove the grate from the bag and wipe away the softened bits of rust material. Rinse it thoroughly with cold water and dry it completely before replacing it in the grill.
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How To Keep A Grill From Rusting: 7 Quick Tips
Learn how to keep a grill from rusting using 7 of our FAVORITE products and methods. that
Start using them RIGHT away to keep your grill looking great!
Even the best made grills, with the best made covers, are subject to rusting over time when left exposed to wind, rain, snow, and humidity, day in and day out.
So if rust is inevitable, what can you do about it?
Well, quite a bit more than you might think.
Keep reading to learn 7 of our favorite products and method to keep your grill from rusting.
Before we jump in, heres a great overview video from Cooking with Ry on how he keeps his grills from rusting:
Using A Commercial Rust Remover To Clean Grill Grates
If you prefer using a commercial rust remover rather than a homemade solution, there are a variety of cleaners on the market. We find that the easiest and most readily available product is oven cleaner and is useful for cleaning grates on a gas grill or charcoal grill.
- Paper towels
As one of the best ways to clean a charcoal grill grate, remove the grate from the grill and spray oven cleaner liberally on both sides, making sure that you are in a well-ventilated area outdoors is preferable.
Place the grate in a large trash bag, seal it shut and place it in a warm area of the yard away from children and pets. After the BBQ grill grate sits for two days, remove it from the bag and spray it down with a hose.
Use a sponge wet with hot water and a dab of dish soap to wipe the metal surface clean of leftover gunk. Rinse the grate one more time and dry it thoroughly before replacing it.
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Implication Of Baking Soda
As a safe and effective cleaner, baking soda has been widely used. The structural value with the feature of basic salt in this soda works to get rid of tough stains and rust on the stainless steel grill.
Mix 25 percentage of warm water with the same amount of baking soda. Now take a soft brush and dip it into that mixture. Then rub the brush on the spots where you find the signs of rust. Within some moments, the rust should come off. Finally, wash the grill with clean water and use a dry cloth to give the finishing touch.
Cleaning A Rusty Grate With Lemon Juice
The best way to clean BBQ grill grates is to use natural ingredients such as lemon juice. The juice of a lemon is a mild acidic and dissolves rust from metal surfaces with ease. The addition of dish soap improves the cleaning process by softening the metal surface for easy cleaning.
- Paper towel
Squeeze the juice from one lemon into a bowl, add a couple of drops of dish soap, and mix the ingredients. Use a basting brush to apply the solution to the rusted surface and place plastic wrap over the grate. Allow the grill to sit for about 24 hours.
Remove the plastic wrap and use a grate brush to scrub away the loose rust and grime. Rinse the surface thoroughly with a water hose and dry with paper towels before replacing the grate.
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Season Your Grates After Cleaning This Is Essential
Regardless of how you cleaned your cast iron grates, you should always season them before you put them away.
Seasoning is simply the use of fat or oil that is baked into the pores of the cast iron at such a high heat that it polymerizes, forming a tough coating that prevents rust and forms a nonstick finish over time.
If your grill is hot and youve just cleaned your grates with a grill brush, one coat will be sufficient, but if youve just completed one of the more thorough cleaning methods described above, youre going to want to apply a couple of coats.
You can use cooking oil to season your grates, but a product Ive been using lately to season all my cast iron is Crisbee.
Made from bees wax, soybean & palm oil, its specifically designed for seasoning cast iron. Ive been using Crisbee for about 6 months now, and my pans have never looked better!
How To Remove Rust From Grill Grates
Before preventing rust, you need to make sure you get rid of the rust you currently have. If you arent sing a safe chemical like Evapo-Rust, then you can make a homemade solution of Salt and Vinegar.
Fun Fact: a Salt and Vinegar solution works wonders around the house for all sorts of things from safely killing weeds to keeping frogs away from your swimming pool.
So it doesnt hurt to mix up a batch and keep a bottle of it on hand.
For Heavy Duty Rust Removal: Make a paste out of vinegar and baking soda. Rub the paste on the spots that are rusty and let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing it with warm water.
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How To Remove Rust From Stainless Steel Grill
Stainless steel grills are notorious for their corrosion resistance, and the buildup of rust on your grill is neither an ideal nor a mouth-watering eventuality. Nevertheless, if left outside or only cleaned occasionally, it will discolor. Due to its dreary and discolored appearance, many people think it has rust.
Its not like all barbeque grills have the same external design. The most common BBQ grills are made of rust-proof stainless steel. Despite this, they are still rust-prone as well as scratch-prone. Cleaning a stainless steel grill with a microfiber cloth is recommended, and stay away from abrasive materials like steel wool.
Your stainless steel grill will need to be cleaned of rust after being left out in the rain or other moisture for some time before you can use it again. Take a look at these methods for thoroughly cleaning your stainless steel grill and eliminating any remaining oxidation. Continue reading to learn how to remove rust from stainless steel in your kitchen and around your house.
How To Prevent Rust From Cast Iron Gates
It is important that we clean the grates after use. How are we cleaning your cast iron grill grates?
To clean rust off the grates after use:
- Simply allow the heat left inside the grill to burn off the excess food and sauces that are stuck in the grate
After that,
- Use a wire grill brush to scrape and clean the grates
Use The Secret Weapon
- Apply a thin coat of vegetable oil or cooking oil.
If the grill is still hot after cleaning, drop some vegetable oil on a clean cloth and wipe the grill with itnot too heavy, just enough to thinly coat it.
If the grill is already cooled-off after cleaning, turn it on and run it until the temperature reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
It needs to reach high heat for the oil to polymerize into the cast iron.
Applying vegetable oil to the grill is called seasoning. It is a process where the oil is used to bake the pores of the cast iron, therefore preventing it from rusting.
So, now that we have learned that prevention is better than the cure, lets get back to our main problem: how to remove the rust from our cast iron grates.
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Dont Leave The Grill Grates Wet
Its hard to grill or smoke a great meal without getting the grill grates wet.
Here at Mad Backyard we are always using some sort of marinade, glaze, or sauce. Heck, even the juices from your meat will get the grill grates wet while they are cooking.
The trick is not to LEAVE them wet when you are done.
When you take the meat off, turn the burners up or open the vents all the way open and let the temperature rise as high as you can get it for a good 10 minutes.
You should see the grates begin to dry out and turn ashy and at this point you can cut the heat and scrape the grates with a good quality bristle free brush.
Then close the lid, let the grill cool, and put the cover back on.
How To Remove Rust From A Stainless Steel Grill
When your stainless steel grill becomes covered with rust, after having sat out in the rain or exposed to other forms of moisture, it will need to be cleared of that oxidation before you can use it again. Here are some ways you can go about effectively removing all oxidation from your stainless steel grill.
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How To Clean Cast Iron Grill Grates If Rusty Or Just After Grilling
Cast iron grill grates can last more than a lifetime if they are adequately cared for. This means regular cleaning, oiling, and ongoing general maintenance and care. Here are the four most effective, easy-to-use ways to restore your CI grates to their former glory.
There are many reasons to purchase cast iron grill grates. They are incredibly durable and if looked after properly, will likely outlive your grill. Theyre also able to retain an even heat during cooking and produce fantastic grill marks on your food.
On top of that, with continuous use and with routine seasoning they will eventually become non-stick similar to a cast iron pan.
However, just as cast iron pots and pans can rust in your home, cast iron grill grates can also become rusty and unusable if not properly cleaned and stored.
So in this article, were going to explore routine maintenance, how to clean cast iron grill grates and how you can keep your investment looking good and operating properly.
Contents
Cleaning A Stainless Steel Grill
A baking soda paste is an excellent choice to clean stainless steel grill grates. This mixture is strong enough to loosen rust yet mild enough to prevent damage to the stainless steel surface.
- Soft towel
Remove the grating from the grill and lay it on a flat surface. Combine the water and baking soda in a bowl and stir until it reaches a paste-like consistency. Use a sponge or cloth to apply the paste to the rusty areas of the grate and allow it to rest for approximately 20 minutes.
Use a grill brush to scrub away the loosened rust and spray the grate thoroughly with clean water. Make sure to dry the metal with a clean towel before replacing it in the grill to prevent further rusting.
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Maintenance Tips For Your Grill Grates
Preventing rust from taking over your grill grates is much easier than getting rid of rust once it has set in. These tips will keep your grates working well and keep them in good shape for years to come.
- When not in use, protect your grill and grates with a grill cover to prevent moisture from seeping in and starting the process of rusting.
- Use a good grill cleaner to lean your cooking grates after each use. Moisture from food left on a grill can speed up the formation of rust.
- Try to use porcelain-coated grill grates, as they are less likely to get rusty.
- After cleaning and drying your grill grates, brush a tiny bit of oil on the grates. This forms a barrier between the surface and the moisture in the environment around it, preventing it from rusting.
- Before putting away your grill for the winter, inspect it carefully and clean it. This will allow you to treat any rust starting out, instead of allowing it to fester and grow throughout the winter months.
- In winter, periodically take out your grates and other grill parts and then check them for rust. This will also allow you to treat minor spots of rust quickly, instead of dealing with a grate that is mostly covered with rust and needs a whole day to clean.
Grill Cleaner Or Oven Cleaner
If your grill has a lot of rust and/or baked on crud, and you dont think any of the above methods will work for you, then a specialized grill cleaner, or even a standard oven cleaner is the be-all end-all way of stripping all your cast iron down to bare metal.
Before you start, assemble all required materials:
- Oven cleaner
- Garbage bags
- A large enough box or container to store the grills for a couple of days while the oven cleaner works its magic
- Some safety glasses and gloves.
In a well-ventilated area, spray an even coating on your grates, place them inside garbage bags, and seal the bags airtight. Now store them for a couple of days in a warm place where no children or pets could possibly get at them.
Once the crud has all broken down, rinse the cast iron and follow it up with a wash in soapy water.
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How To Remove Rust From Grills And Barbecues Using Off
Removing rust from a grill isn’t as difficult as you might think
There are lots of off-the-shelf products available from good DIY and homeware stores that you can use to remove rust. But, be sure to opt for one that is specifically made for BBQs and grills, to avoid harmful chemical residues being left on your cooking equipment.
If you want to learn how to remove rust from grills and barbecues this way, it’s generally quite straightforward but follow the instructions on the packet as some may vary.
For day-to-day maintenance, take a look at our guide on how to clean a BBQ for more advice. Our best BBQ cleaner buying guide will come in handy, too.
Using Grill Abrasive Scrubbers To Remove Rust
A grill abrasive scrubber can remove a good amount of rust in no time.
If the rust is only surface deep, soak the grill with water using a damp sponge and begin scrubbing the rusty surfaces. To clean thicker rustpour mild detergent into the water first before using it to soak the rusty parts of the grill. After scrubbing rinse with water and dry thoroughly.
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Whats Wrong With A Rusty Grill
Theres nothing wrong with some texture in your meat unless, of course, that texture is coming from rust.
When the grate of a grill is rusty, that rust can transfer directly to the food youre cooking on it. That might mean taking a bite of rusty metal.
Not only is the taste and crunch alarming, but it can lead to negative health implications.
And rust is only the first step of deterioration.
If you go too long without correcting a rust problem on your grill, it might suffer structural damages and wind up breaking down .
The good news is that the process to keep your grill rust-free is pretty simple.
Using Soft Drinks To Remove Rust
Soft drinks contain varying levels of phosphoric acidwhich is the main ingredient in many commercial rust removal products. Usa a soft drink with a higher concentration of phosphoric acid like a cola as a quick solution to rusty outdoor grills.
Buy two to three liters of Coke to soak the grill. Submerge the grill into the coke and leave it overnight. The next day, scrub the rust away with a scouring pad or brush. Rinse the rust and the residue with water. If some of the rust still clings onto the metal surfaces, repeat the process.
Warning: Coke contains sugar and other ingredients that attract bugs and bacteria. Make sure you really rinse any residue away when youre done or youll be opening yourself up to a whole new problem.
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