With Memorial Day just around the corner, summer has officially started. Of course, with the official start of summer comes backyard cookouts with crowds gathered around the crown jewel of the season – the grill. Preparing for America’s favorite backyard barbeque holiday is a great time to take a few minutes to clean our favorite patio accessory – the grill.
Grills cook a wide variety of foods at a very high temperature and many of these foods are high in fat leaving grills greasy and chalked with carbon remnants. After a season of use, a grill may look like it has seen better days, however, often the grill just needs a good cleaning to be restored to a nearly new state that is ready to take on hamburgers, brats, chicken, steaks and a veggie patty or two.
Grill cleaning can be broken down into two types: routine cleaning and deep cleaning. Routine cleaning is done after every use and deep cleaning is performed after several uses, when the grill begins to appear soiled.
When working around the grill, unless you are cooking, always make sure that the gas is turned off at the source and be aware of the temperature of the appliance to avoid burns.
ROUTINE GRILL CLEANING
1. Clean outside before. Before each use, the outside of the grill should be wiped free of dust, pollen and any leftover food from the last use. This will help to keep the finish of the grill in good condition by avoiding baking any contaminants into the finish.
2. Clean inside after. After each use, the grates inside of the grill should be brushed with a stiff metal grill brush while the grill is still hot to clean any leftover food, sauces and marinades off of the grates.
DEEP GRILL CLEANING
1. Remove grates and flare-up covers. These items are going to be amongst the dirtiest in the grill and there are several options to clean them:
A. Soak in hot soapy water and scrub. Since we are already working outside, a bucket, some soap and a little elbow grease can be one of the simplest solutions for cleaning the grates. Fill a large bucket with warm water and mix in some dish soap. Place the grates and flare-up covers in the bucket of water and soak for fifteen minutes or so to loosen the buildup. Scrub the grates with an abrasive cleaning pad until they are clean. Rinse with clean water and set aside to dry.
B. Use oven cleaner. Oven cleaner can do the hard scrubbing for you, leaving just a wipe at the end of the process. To clean the grates and flare-up covers with oven cleaner, wear thick rubber gloves and lay down a generous layer of newspaper over an area that will not be damaged by staining. Spread the grates over the newspaper and spray liberally with oven cleaner. Be sure to keep pets and children away. Allow the oven cleaner to go to work for several hours and then wipe clean with paper towels – be careful not to get the cleaner on your skin or clothing.
C. Place in self cleaning oven. If you have a self cleaning oven, this can be the easiest method. To avoid a fire inside of your oven and to keep your home from smelling like a burger joint, clean the grates and flare-up covers as best as possible with a wire brush first. Place the grates and covers in a single layer on the racks in your oven and start a self clean cycle. When the cycle is complete and the oven is cool, simply wipe the grates and covers with a damp cloth to clean any incinerated residue.
2. Scrub Fire Box. Clean the built up carbon off of the inside walls and bottom of the firebox using a wire brush. carefully work around the burners and scoop out all of the residue that you clean off. Amazingly, the walls of the grill will restore close to their original finish with a little elbow grease.
3. Clean Outside of Grill. Nobody wants to eat something that came out of an appliance that looks disgusting, so cleaning the outside of the grill can be very rewarding. Use warm soap and water and a mildly abrasive pad to scrub down the outside of the grill. Start at the top of the grill with the hood and work down to the food prep areas, side burners, knobs and finally the cabinet/base. be sure the rinse the soap off of all surfaces when you are finished.
4. Re-assemble. Install the flare-up covers and grates in the opposite order that you disassembled them in.
5. Fire up the grill and enjoy your favorite outdoor meal!
While House Spouse does not offer grill cleaning services, we are experts at keeping your home at its most enjoyable best with routine cleaning services, pool care services and deep cleaning of carpets, tile and grout. For more information or an instant online quote, please visit our website at HouseSpouse.com.
