Ah, summer. ‘Tis the season of the grill. Dust it off, bust it out, load up on propane and prepare to luxuriate in outdoor cooking. Grills are for everyone. From suburban backyards to fifth floor walk up balconies to car camping sites across the nation. Let your inner pit master shine, relishing in that sweet satisfaction of diamond marks seared flawlessly into your food.
It’s essential to keep your gas grill clean, every time you use the grill, you should clean it afterwards. Not cleaning your grill is like never cleaning your pots and pans. So before you grilling those burgers, follow our semi annual grill cleaning guide.
Supplies:
Long handled, stiff wire brush
Paper towel
Long handled tongs
Scouring pad
Sponge
Metal spatula or grill scraper
Vegetable oil
Mr Clean Magic Eraser
Dawn Dish Soap
Distilled water / bucket
Stainless steel cleaning product for exterior of grill
15-step semiannual gas grill deep cleaning guide
Preheat the grill on high for about 15 minutes. Then turn off the grill and unhook the gas line (or simply switch off the propane tank). You want your grill to be warm before you clean it, but not too hot that you risk burning yourself.
Mix a solution of distilled water and a few drops of Dawn Dish Soap in a bucket (do this while the grill is preheating so that it’s ready to go). Dip your long handled stiff wire brush into the solution and then, applying some pressure, scrub the grill grates in a back-to-front motion. Careful not to lean over the grill too much while you’re doing this, because the water combined with the hot grill grates ought to create some significant steam.
Once the grate has cooled, wipe it off with a clean, wet rag to remove any soap residue or bristles that may have fallen off of the brush.
Remove the grate and scrub the underneath of it, repeating Step 2-3.
Take out the metal plates that cover the burners on the inside of the grill. Scrub them with the scouring pad dipped in the soapy water and then wipe clean with wet rag to remove soap residue.
Using a sponge and water, wipe down the actual burners. You don’t need to necessarily remove the burners to clean them, just be mindful to wipe the underneath of them as best you can. Be gentle with the burners.
If there are any visible clogs in the burner holes, you can use a toothpick to dislodge any grit that may be stuck in there. You can also scrub them gently with a toothbrush.
Most grills have removable pans in the bottom, so you can pull them out and use your metal spatula or grill scraper to remove grease build up or drippings. If the pan doesn’t pull out from your grill, you can scrape any debris out through the grease hole and catch them with a trash bag. Empty the drip pan and wash out grease with soapy water.
Use your soapy sponge to wipe out the interior bottom of the grill. If you haven’t done routine grill cleaning in the past, this part is probably a bit overwhelming because you’ve got a lifetime of burnt food scraps down there. We know it’s not fun and you’re probably pretty sooty at this point, but look at it like this: Going forward, this job will not be as bad. And, hey, those food scraps probably tasted really good like three years ago when you made them.
Check beneath the grill lid. You can use a combination of your grill scraper, scouring pad and an Extra Durable Mr Clean Magic Eraser (which is great for cleaning greasy residue off of ovens, so it’s also perfect for this particular chore) to get the inside of the grill lid clean.
Put the grill back together. Replace your burner covers, grill grates and removable pan.
Hook propane back up (or simply turn it back on). Let the grill heat on high for another 15 minutes or so to burn off any remaining soapy residue.
Once the grate has cooled down again, using your long handled tongs, grip a ball of paper towel and use it to apply vegetable oil to your freshly cleaned grill grates. The oil should prevent future food from sticking to the grates too much.
When the grill is fully cooled off, wipe down the entire exterior with soapy water using your sponge or scouring pad, depending how dirty it is. But seriously, make sure it’s cooled first. Wipe everything from the lid to the side panels and the legs. Rinse off any soapy residue with clean water.
Use a stainless steel or glass cleaner to wipe down the exterior of your grill, giving it a sleek and polished finish.
Boom: Ready to grill! And your food will taste better knowing just how clean your grill is. No, really it will actually taste better because all those little burnt scraps of ancient meals won’t be catching on fire and polluting your dinner with their (way too) smokey fumes.
But not so fast! Keep reading to be sure your grill stays sexy throughout the summertime.
Gas Grill Maintenance Tips
Oil it up. Use a pair of long handled tongs and paper towel to apply vegetable oil to your grill grates before each use. (See Step 13 from our Deep Cleaning Guide.) The oil will prevent food from sticking to the grates too much. Be sure to apply the oil once the grates are hot.
After each use, while the grates are still hot, use your long handled stiff wire brush to scrape off any residual food. It’s like brushing your teeth, if your teeth were made of metal and your toothbrush was extremely abrasive.
Torch food drippings between uses. If you’re using your grill regularly, once a week you should turn it on high and leave it on for about 15 minutes to burn off any residual food build up, grease and grime.
Invest in a grill cover. The reasoning behind this should be obvious, but the less your grill is exposed to weather, the better. Also grill covers might prevent hypothetical wasps or birds from nesting in your grill between uses.
Safety first. Occasionally check your fuel line for leaks by liberally applying soapy water to all of the propane connectors, valves and line with a sponge or wet rag. Fire up the grill and check for any little bubbles forming in the soap suds. If you see bubbles forming, you may have a gas leak and should replace the problem area, whether it be the hose, valves or connectors.
Now, as long as you work the last five tips into your grilling routine, you’re golden. And so are those ears of corn you’ve been grilled. Nom nom nom. Enjoy the fruits of your labor, and be sure to follow our Semiannual Gas Grill Deep Cleaning Guide again at the end of your grilling season before storing it away for the winter.
Note: If you’re storing your grill outside, it’s okay to leave the propane connected but OFF. If your grill is inside, like in a garage or enclosed patio, best to disconnect the gas entirely when not in use.
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