How To Clean A BBQ Grill

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and all those other great British summer clichés are happening! That means sooner or later you’re going to have to have a barbeque, doesn’t it? Whether it’s a small family only dinner or a big party it’s highly likely you’ll be using the family barbeque quite a few times over the summer.

But before you use it it’s likely going to need a good cleaning, you’d be surprised just how much dirt can pile up while your barbeque is in storage. Cleaning it can be a difficult task if you don’t do it correctly and while it might seem simple many barbeques require a bit more TLC when it comes to the cleaning process.

But with our helpful guide below you won’t have to worry when it comes to cleaning your BBQ! So, without further ado let’s begin, shall we?

The Basic Clean

Let’s start with the basic first few steps shall we? These first few steps will get your BBQ clean if it’s only lightly messy but even if it’s very messy these steps will help weaken the dirt and be a great starting point for you to work from.

For the first step, you’re going to need to heat up your BBQ and leave it on full heat for 10 – 15 minutes. Make sure you leave the BBQ lid on and carefully monitor it during this time. If you have a coal BBQ make sure you are using fresh coal.

This might sound a little odd or even dangerous but as long as you monitor the BBQ things will be fine. This heating process will bake off excess dirt and grime and make the grill a lot easier to clean. After the time is up, turn off the heat and leave the BBQ to cool, once it’s cool use a steel brush to gently scrub the grill and give it a wipe down with a damp cloth.

The Deep Clean

The basic clean method outlined above is enough to get most BBQ’s clean after they’ve been used but if they haven’t been used in a while or are very dirty a more thorough deep clean may be needed. To start this cleaning method, carry out the basic clean above and then continue with the steps below.

Start by removing the grill bars and then prepare some warm soapy water and gently wash the grill bars. Stick to using warm water whenever possible because cleaning fluids can easily damage them. While there are some specialist cleaning fluids available it’s always a good idea to ensure they are compatible with your BBQ before using them.

So, if you’re not sure test them out on a small area of the grill first or check your BBQ’s manual, once the grill bars have been thoroughly cleaned leave them to dry and use a light coating of vegetable oil to ensure they don’t rust.

Cleaning The Grill Trays

The grill might be the main area of a BBQ and one of the easiest to get dirty, but there’s at least one other component that will require regular cleaning. The drip trays on a BBQ will collect grease and ash and will need cleaning before each use. Below we’ve outlined how to safely and effectively get these trays clean.

As always you need to wait till the trays are cool before you start cleaning them, once they’re cool you’ll first need to get rid of any excess grease. You can soak it up using kitchen roll or pour it out into your bin. Some people also advise using cat litter to soak it up first to make the grease easier to remove.

Once the grease has been removed use warm soapy water to clean out the trays if you’re having trouble removing more stubborn grease try boiling your kettle and pouring the water in. The boiling water should remove more stubborn stains.

Cleaning The Burners and Lids

So, we’ve looked at many of the main areas of the BBQ for the final pieces like the burners and lids as well as the out framework carryout your cleaning like we’ve outlined below. For the inside of the BBQ and frame use a steel brush and warm soapy cloth to gently brush and wipe down the BBQ.

If you have a gas BBQ food waste can sometimes get caught in the burners and removing this can be tricky, but many people opt to use a pin or small ice pick to gently remove it. Check your instructions manual to see if your BBQ’s manufacturer as suggested anything. As always before attempting to clean anything or pick out food make sure your BBQ is cool.