How To Clean Grill Grates
You dont have to clean every part of yourgrill every time, but you should always clean the grate. Food, grease and watercan build up on it quickly, causing corrosion in some cases. Steel grates canbe particularly vulnerable to damage as their coating wears off, but evenceramic-coated high-quality cast iron grill grates can be damaged byimproper handling, causing the coating to chip, and making the whole gratesusceptible to rust. Frequent cleaning will help ensure that it has a longlife, and keep your food tasting great, every time.
Before you clean your grill, its a good ideato check the manufacturers recommendation for which brush to use. Stainlesssteel and uncoated cast iron grates generally wont be damaged by a wire brush,but any grill grate that is porcelain coated may be vulnerable. If youre unsurewhether your grill might be damaged, use a nylon grill brush rather than asteel one. It may take a bit more elbow grease, but youll still be able to getyour grill sparkling clean.
Not quite sure how to clean your grill grates?Heres the basic process to get you started:
Use The Correct Brush For Grill Grates
To clean your gas grill with minimal effort you need the appropriate tools. Using the wrong ones makes the job harder and less efficient. Before you even begin using any cleaning solution, ensure you have the right grill brush for the material youre cleaning.
A basic wire brush is perfectly acceptable to use in most cases, except when cleaning cast iron or stainless steel. Grills made with stainless steel typically come with brushes made from the same material, which prevents damage to the coating of the metal.
Similarly, cleaning a cast iron grill with a wire brush wears down the surface and exposes it to the rusting. Parts of the bristles may even break off into the grooves of the cast iron, making it much more difficult to clean.
To prevent rust, use a nylon cleaning brush instead of wire. These types of brushes also work on stainless steel.
Cleaning The Interior Of Your Grill
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How To Remove Food Residue From Grates
Start by tackling the grates.Its good practice to burn off any food residue left on your grill by turning all your burners to high for 15 minutes before grilling, says Kolman. As your grill heats up, he explains, all food remnants will transform into ash. From there, you can easily brush them off using a stainless steel bristle brush. And speaking of the brush, for the highest quality clean, I recommend getting a brand new one every year, says Kolman. Set a calendar reminder to go brush shopping at the end or beginning of every summer.
Cleaning The Grease Tray/cup On Your Gas Grill
The grease tray/cup on your Nexgrill should be emptied and wiped down periodically, and washed with a mild detergent and warm water solution. We all know how dirty grilling can get. Dont allow excess grease to accumulate and overflow out of the grease tray/cup.
Pro tip: You can place a small amount of sand in the bottom of the grease tray to absorb the grease.
Your Nexgrill is your outdoor cooking companion. You saved for it, youve prepare delicious meals on it, and you should also take care of it. To ensure maximum quality and efficiency, be sure to follow these tips for cleaning your gas grill.
Hey there! Did you know that every piece of your Nexgrill has at least a 1-year warranty? And many of our gas grills have a 5-year warranty on the main burners. Thats why its important to keep your receipt. So that our Customer Service staff can ensure that your warranty is honored, and your Nexgrill keeps providing.
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Clean Grates And Racks After Each Use
Cleaning chores are much easier if they are done often, after each use of the grill. This is critical with gas grills since the high temperatures can bake on grease and foods, making it challenging to clean the grates and racks once they cool and the grease hardens.
Make sure to clean these parts after every cooking session.
Things To Consider When Cleaning Your Grill
Remember to always shut off your grill and disconnect your gas supply before removing any burners, performing any kind of disassembly, or pressure washing your grill. You should also spot test any new cleaning product before using it on your grill to ensure a product works as advertised.
Finally, remember to heat your grill after cleaning to allow any cleaning remnants to burn off. This will keep your cleaner from becoming part of your next meal. This is also a good time to consider adding drip tray liners or aluminum foil to your grill to simplify your cleaning process in the future.
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Clean Your Cooking Grids While the Grills Still Warm
One of the best times to clean your grill is while its still warm.
Its much easier to scrub off any residual grease or food from your grills surfaces while theyre still hot from the cook.
If you wait until your grill cools, any leftovers have a better chance to harden and stick to your grills surfaces.
Grab Your Grill Brush for Quick, Clean Grates
Take your handy grill brush and give those grates a nice, easy scrub. Any leftover food should come off without much effort.
If you dip your grill brush in a bowl of water before you scrub, the steam actually helps the cleaning process.
Dip frequently, and be sure to wear a grill mitt to protect your hand from the heat and steam.
CLEANING THE STAINLESS STEEL ON YOUR GAS GRILL
When it comes to cleaning stainless steel, we recommend starting with the mildest cleaning procedure.
There are many different stainless steel cleaners available on store shelves that can help you to scrub off leftover grease.
If you look closely at the stainless steel youll notice that it has a grain. Be sure to scrub in same the direction of the grain to help avoid scratching.
Specks of grease can also gather on the surfaces of your stainless steel, and bake onto the surface over time, giving the appearance of corrosion.
To remove these spots, we recommend using a mildly abrasive pad in conjunction with a stainless steel cleaner.
Be sure to scrub with the grain to avoid scratching the surface.
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Remove All The Dirt At The Bottom
There are plates underneath the burners and they must have a lot of dirt. Once you are done with the burners, it is time you work on them. For easy cleaning, these plates are usually easily removable. They also easily and quickly clean off when using the grill brush.
The sponge might not do much because the layer of grime on these plates is very thick. It is where most of the grime ends up and so the grill brush is most appropriate when cleaning them. Once you are done with the plates, the last thing you should look at is the removable tray at the very bottom. Any dirt or chunks on the edges should be scraped onto the tray.
Then, slide the tray out for some serious cleaning. On the tray, you will find loose dirt while some gunk will require some extra effort. Clean the tray using both the sponge and the grill brush to get rid of the loose and tough grime and grease.
Take Care Of The Burner Protectors
Burner protectors are there to ensure that the burner system is protected from grease and any other dirt that might clog it. Therefore, you can be sure that these protectors are really dirty because it is their role to get dirty. In most grills, you can easily remove the burner protectors because they are just little ledges which can easily be pulled out.
In most cases, some of the burner protectors are dirty than others. The varying level of uncleanliness might be because you might happen to grill on the same spot often. This way, some of them get additional splatter than others.
Use the bucket with soapy water and the old sponge to scrub the burner protectors. To be sure that you have washed them completely, they should all appear new and shiny.
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Cleaning The Grill Burners On Your Gas Grill
From time to time, depending on how often you grill, you may want to clean the burners on your Nexgrill. Over time, grease and food remains can cause blockages on your burners, and even small blockages have the potential to become a fire hazard.
One more time for common sense: BEFORE REMOVING THE BURNER FOR CLEANING, MAKE SURE THAT YOU DISCONNECT THE LP/NG TANK. AND PLEASE MAKE SURE THE RANGE TOP BURNER IS COOL BEFORE REMOVAL.
To remove the grill burner on your Nexgrill gas grill, remove the screws and the cotter clip that hold it in place. Set aside the screws and clip, and lift the burner out of the grill.
Clean the exterior of the burner with soapy water and a wire brush. Scrub stubborn remains with a metal scraper. Clear any clogged ports with a straightened paper clip.
Please note: If insects or other obstructions are blocking the flow of gas through the burner, try blowing out the burner with a can of compressed air. If there are still obstructions, call our Customer Service line before attempting to grill again. U.S.A. 1-800-913-8999
After your clean burner has been allowed to dry, take extreme care to reinsert it correctly. Your burner must be centered with the gas supply orifice. Do not attempt to relight the grill if the burner is not correctly positioned within the gas supply orifice.
Finally, reattach the gas burner using the screws and cotter pin you set aside, and bingo! Clean grill burner.
How To Clean A Gas Grill Using Soap
Now that youre ready to wash your grill grates, youre ready to add the perfect cleaning solution. The gentlest approach is combining dish soap and water to make your own grill cleaner at home. Dish soap is a natural degreaser, so it works perfectly to remove the gunk and grime from grills.
- 1 gallon of warm water
When you clean grill grates with soapy water, remove them from the grill, along with the warming rack, if your grill has one. Doing this allows you to work on both sides of the grates, both the top and undersides. Rinse thoroughly when you finish scrubbing, then let the parts air dry.
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About Jason Wiley
I am a grill freak. I grill at least three nights a week. It’s hard to pick my favorite thing to grill, but if I had to choose… it is still a tie between pork ribs and a juicy beef burger. I am currently grilling on a Weber S210 but my dream grill is definitely a summit. Those things are bad ass.
Anyways I would love to hear from you, leave a comment or question below!
Inspect All The Parts
The annual cleaning is a good time to inspect all the parts and replace any that are worn or damaged. Grill burners can eventually wear out, as can the heat deflectors and other parts. Hardware stores sell many of the parts necessary to tune up a grill, and the grill manufacturer may offer them for sale online.
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Empty Ashes After Each Use
Clean out the residual ash in a charcoal grill after each use. A pile of ash left on the grill can collect moisture, and ash plus moisture can equal a cement-like substance that’s can be incredibly difficult to remove.
To make quick work of ash cleanup, 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 won’t get wet.
Transfer the collected ash to the garbage when the bucket is full and you’re positive there are no coals still burning. Ash disposal becomes even easier if you opt for lump charcoal since it creates relatively little ash when compared to briquettes.
Other Routine Grill Maintenance
Before using your grill this summer, look at the color of the gas flame. If it’s burning a steady, bright blue, the burners are clear and the cooking time should be steady and even. If the flames burn orange or red, there’s grease stuck around the burners and it should be cleaned.
To clean the burners, follow the instructions in your manual. Always disengage the gas and purge the gas lines according to the manufacturer’s directions. Since each grill is different, you’ll need to follow whatever directions came with your unit to get to the burners. You’ll need to remove the lava rocks though to get to the burners. That’s a great opportunity to scrub them down too. You can use a commercial burner cleaner, available where you bought your grill, or mix up your own solution using water, liquid dishwashing detergent and vinegar. Mix in a gallon sized pail water to the top, about a cup of vinegar, and about a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. You can soak the burners in this solution, rinse, dry and replace them.
Lastly, check your propane canister before using your grill this summer. If the valve is loose, leaky or rusted, get a new tank. When in doubt, buy a replacement. Make sure you have enough propane in stock before you fire up the grill.
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Cover Your Gas Grill Between Use
Be sure to cover your grill in between uses with a cover as this will help to keep it clean and presentable, as well as prolonging its life.
A cover stops dust collecting, insects and even animals getting inside, and just generally protects it from the elements.
A good grill cover might seem like an unnecessary expense, but they more than pay for themselves by lengthening the time between grill replacements.
