How To Clean A Bbq Body From The Outside
Cleaning the outside is the easiest part of the BBQ clean. No matter the material the exterior is made of, you can use this universal method: just wipe the BBQ down with a moist cloth and then buff it with a dry one. Treat with warm water and liquid dish detergent in case of stuck particles or persistent dirt on the surface. Scrub with a sponge if needed.
Warning: Harsh chemicals are not recommended. They can damage the metal if not used properly, its not safe to be used near food and could be flammable.
How to clean stainless steel exterior surface?
The exterior surface uses a soft, moist cloth to wipe outdry cloth to buff for cleaning stainless steel. And oil or specialised liquid to polish.
No steel-wool pads or brushes are recommended because they can scratch or permanently damage the surface.
In addition, oil and polishers protect from weather conditions.
The quality of the stainless steel used for different parts of the BBQ exterior may vary, with that, the manufacturers advice for regular maintenance. For best results when handling discolouration, rust or stains, follow the manufacturers instructions strictly.
Use Glass And Stainless Cleaner To Polish Such Surfaces
If your grill has any glass windows or stainless steel surfaces, spray with glass or stainless steel cleaner, wipe them with a sponge and wash away with the hose again.
Be sure not to use standard detergents as they can make your grill look dull, or even worse, cause damage.
Youve gone through this whole process to make your grill look fantastic, so be sure to treat your grill with specific cleaners that are right for the job if they do have glass or stainless steel components.
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
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Baking Soda Ensures Easier Cleaning
Make a paste from a quarter cup of baking soda and a quarter cup of water. Apply a thin mixture with a wire brush on the grill and leave it for 15 minutes. Rinse well. Then wipe the cast grates with a paper towel and place them over a hot grill for at least 15 minutes to burn any remaining paste or food.
Oil Your Grates Before And After Use
Be sure to oil the hot grates with vegetable oil before adding any food when grilling, as this prevents food from sticking. As before, use your tongs and oil-soaked paper towel.
After each use and while the grill grates are still hot, clean them with a good grill brush or scraper to remove any grease, drippings, or food. Then oil them again to prevent corrosion between uses.
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Is Apple Cider Vinegar Better Than White Vinegar For Cleaning
Truth be told, there are no actual differences between these 2 kinds of vinegar in terms of cleaning.
The main difference is the smell.
White vinegar has a strong sour smell while apple cider vinegar gives off a more pleasant sweet odor.
So, if dont like the smell of white vinegar, then use apple cider. Your grill grates wont be less clean.
Best Way To Clean Grill Grates
Well-maintained and clean grates are the key to a sumptuous and well-cooked meal. Not only will you achieve perfect and DEFINED CHAR MARKS, but youll also be doing your grill a favor.
There are 3 regular cleaning methods you can try at home. Well also go over the safest and fastest deep cleaning method for stubborn greasy grates!
So, grab your grates, and lets get cleaning!
Read Also: How To Clean Cast Iron Grill
What Is The Best Gas Grill Cleaner
7 Best Grill Cleaners for Every Kind of Barbecue Mess
- Best Overall Grill Cleaner: Carbona 2-In 1 Oven Rack & Grill Cleaner.
- Best Heavy Duty Grill Cleaner: Zep Commercial Oven and Grill Cleaner.
- Best Grill Cleaner for Grease: Easy-Off BBQ Grill Cleaner.
- Quickest Grill Cleaner: Parker & Bailey BBQ Grill Cleaner and Degreaser.
Insert Them Into Your Grill
Pro Tip: Now that youre done cleaning, oil the grill grates with canola oil before you cook. This will help prevent food from sticking to the grill in the future and make cleaning much easier.
Canola oil, peanut oil, and avocado oil are all great due to their high smoke points.
Olive oil and extra virgin olive oil are not good to use as they have a smoke point. They will burn at around 400º which is too low for grilling.
Now lets continue with the rest of our grill grate cleaning methods.
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Choose The Right Tools To Clean Grill Grates
While some grillers opt for a traditional grill brush, many do not know wire grill brushes can be slightly dangerous. Wire bristles are notorious for breaking off and falling into your food. Without even realizing it, many people have accidentally ingested these bristles, too. If you feel like swapping in a safer tool, weve got plenty of other grill cleaning ideas you can start using today.
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Aluminum Foil: Grab a handful of aluminum foil, ball it up and use grill tongs to hold it while you scrub away. You can even re-use the same aluminum foil from cooking your favorite foil packet recipes.
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Nylon Scouring Pad: Grab a scouring pad from your kitchen and take it to the grill for fast and easy cleanup.
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Grill Stone: Gently rub this pumice-like grill stone back and forth across your grill grates. Then, finish it off by wiping the area clean with a soft cloth or water. Its that easy.
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Onion: It might seem a little strange, but you can use half an onion to clean your grill. Just spear the onion on a barbecue fork, and use the cut side to scrub grates clean. The acidic enzymes will break down grease without being overly abrasive. And if youre cooking with charcoal, the onion can simply be thrown into the coals to discard.
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!
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Wipe The Burners Clean
Now to the burner tubes.
These should have been adequately covered by the Flavorizer Bars or metal plates described above, so a gentle wipe with a sponge and warm soapy water should be enough.
While wiping them down, check to make sure none of the holes are clogged as this affects the flow of gas, causes uneven heating and inconsistent results from your grill.
So if you see any clogged holes, gently remove the dirt using a toothpick or an opened out paper clip to clear any blocked holes.
If more than just a small number of holes are blocked, if seriously dirty, caked, and clogged they will need a little extra TLC. Check out our guide to cleaning gas grill burner tubes for more info.
Clean The Flavorizer Bars
Most grills have some sort of cover over the gas burners, and these are often named Flavorizer Bars, or sometimes heat diffusers, or simply metal plates.
Before their invention, lava rocks were used instead, which were a nightmare to clean and prone to flare-ups.
Nowadays, the Flavorizer Bars spread the heat more evenly and direct drippings away from the burner tubes. This not only creates more even cooking, but it helps to prevent flare-ups and stops the burners from clogging, so its essential to keep these guys clean.
The Flavorizer Bars are the most chastised part of the grill, because not only do they take full whack of the heat, but they also collect all of the marinade and drippings so do tend to get and look a bit grim over time.
Again, theres no secret technique here, just make sure these guys are removed from the grill and then scrub both sides with a scourer and warm soapy water.
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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.
Soak The Grill Grates And Metal Pieces In Hot Water And Dish Soap Soak Them In Your Sink Or A Large Plastic Bin
At this point, youre probably hoping that you dont have to scrub the grill grates vigorously. Luckily, you dont. Just fill your sink with hot water and dish soap and let the grates soak. Some grill grates will be too big to fit in your sink. In that case, set your grill grates in a shallow plastic container with hot soapy water.
If you dont have a plastic bin handy, you can try the strategy we used to clean stove top grates. Learn more right here.
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How To Clean Cast Iron Grates Quick Tips
Cast iron grill grates are incredibly durable. They can tolerate any temperature that youd be able to generate. Even though cast iron pans are durable, water is not their friend. It can cause rust.
So, avoid soaking your cast iron grill grates in water to clean them. Instead, use a brush or burn off the food. Well go over these methods a little later.
To help prevent rust, wipe your cast iron grates with vegetable oil after youre done cleaning.
Like with porcelain grates, avoid wire brushes or steel wool. These tools are too abrasive and may damage the finish.
Applying A Professional Grill Cleaner
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Simply Wash And Rinse With Soapy Water
Its a good idea to start with fresh warm soapy water again. Otherwise, youll get grease smears all over the outside of your grill, and thats never a good look.
Using a sponge, gently scrub the exterior all over, particularly around the grooves and knobs where grime tends to stick.
If you have any stubborn bits of burnt food or grime, soak it with warm water and cleaning product a few times, 30 seconds or so apart to loosen it.
Do not use a scourer as this will scratch the paintwork or surface.
Once youve rubbed it down thoroughly, rinse it with clean water using your garden hose set to a low power setting, and thats it!
Best Way To Clean Ceramic Grill Grates
Ceramic grill grates are metal grill racks coated with heavy ceramic. It is very durable. When cleaning your ceramic grill, special precautions must be taken so as not to damage the ceramic coating on the grill grates. When you take care of ceramic grill grates and proper maintenance, it will be last for a long time. If you have a ceramic grill, these cleaning tips will help you to keep it looking great for years to come. However, after many uses, ceramic grill grates need good cleaning.
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Best Ways To Clean Grill Grates
Cleaning grill grates is a nasty job, but not if you want your food to taste nasty too!
Ive heard people say they dont mind a little leftover grime on their grates, with the claim that it adds flavor. No, this is not a thing. Only lazy people say that. Grease, oil, and marinade get caked up during grilling. After they sit there for a while, they turn rancid and will make your food taste bad. Just clean the grates, its not that hard.
You never think of using a frying pan and want to cook something that has left-over gunk and dried sauce everywhere. Well, your grill is pretty much the same principle and should have proper hygiene you need for a fine BBQ.
Lets talk about heavy metal for a second. Not the kind that you listen to that makes the neighbors wonder if youll ever grow-up. The kind that gets hot enough to put an excellent sear and crust on your steak. Below well cover everything you need to know about grates, DIY cleaning hacks, maintenance tips, and our top picks for the best grates and cleaning tools.
Cleaning Tools & Grate Upgrades, Reviewed & Ranked
| Product |
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| Kettle Grate |
Use Oven Cleaner On Your Stove Grates
If youre near the end of your oven-cleaning rope and cant seem to clean your grates thoroughly, dont give up yet. A commercial oven cleaner is an excellent option for cleaning your gas stove grates and maintaining clean burners.
Oven cleaner cuts through grease and dirt with ease and takes care of any challenge your stove may have. Always wear proper safety gear when you clean with oven cleaner, open all the windows and turn on fans.
- Commercial oven cleaners such as Merrychef or TurboChef
- Scrubber or scrub pad
Put on your safety gear, and spray the oven cleaner on all burner grates and burners. Allow the cleaner to sit check the cleaners instructions for recommended soak time.
Scrub the equipment with the brush or pad. Repeat until all gear is clean. When the burners and grates are spotless, wipe them with a cloth.
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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.
