It’s that time of year, again, where your dinner plans and your party plans have you heading outdoors, from your kitchen stove to your BBQ grill. And, just like your kitchen stove, your BBQ grill, requires regular cleaning to keep it up and ready for this year’s summer parties.
Keep reading to find out how to get your grill clean at the beginning of the grilling season, make clean-up easier while you’re grilling, and how to keep it clean between uses, throughout the summer party season.
Prepare your grill for your first summer party
If your grill has been neglected for the past year, before you start throwing any shrimp on the barbie, you’ll want to make sure that it is clean and in good working order.
If you are prepping a gas grill, before you start taking it apart to clean it, you’ll want to detach the propane tank. While you’re at it, now is also a good time to check the fuel level in your tank. Using a glass of warm water, pour it down the side of the tank. Feeling the the wet side of the tank, with your hand, it will feel cooler where the fuel level begins.
If you are prepping a charcoal grill, you’ll want to make sure that the ash and coals, from last year’s party, are disposed of, in a noncombustible container.
Cleaning your grill
You don’t need fancy tools or cleansers to clean your grill, a warm bucket of soap and water and a steel brush, should be just fine. In fact, you should avoid using abrasive cleaners or tools, to prevent damage to your grill and its parts.
Using the steel brush, you’ll start by scraping the grate and other food and oil splattered parts of your grill, including the burner protectors, the drip tray, the lid, and the walls, taking care to get in those pesky corners, as well. Finish up by wiping down the freshly scraped parts with a sponge soaked in soapy water.
If the grate is difficult to clean, even with the steel brush, you can soak it in a bucket of warm, soapy, water while you continue to clean the rest of the grill. You might also try heating up your gas grill, for about five minutes, and letting the grates heat up before scraping them. If you are cleaning a charcoal grill, try spraying the grate down with a solution of vinegar and water and letting it sit in a cold, closed, grill, for about an hour; the grime should come right off, with soap and water.
Once the inside of the grill is cleaned out, don’t forget to wipe down the outside with soap and water.
Now that your grill is nice and clean, it’s time to reattach the hose to your propane grill and get ready for your first summer party.
How to keep clean-up simple, while grilling
It’s recommended that you clean your grill after every use, but there are a few hacks you can use while grilling to minimize the time you spend doing so. An added bonus is that these tips will also help make your meals a hit, at any summer party, this season.
To keep fish from sticking and falling apart on the grill, try using lemon or orange slices to raise the fish off of the grate. The citrus slices will also add flavor to the fish.
To keep kebabs from turning on the skewer or falling apart on the grill, try using two skewers per kebab, instead of one. They’ll be easier to turn and cook more evenly, as well. And, less likely to slip between the grate.
To make grill clean-up an absolute dream, use the cast-iron skillets on the grill, to cook foods that tend to fall apart or fall through the grate, including fish and vegetables.
Keep your grill clean between uses
You don’t have to thoroughly clean your grill after every summer party, but it’s a good idea to perform cursory cleaning after every use.
Scrape off the grate while the grill is still hot. If you don’t have a steel brush handy, use a pair of tongs to scrape the grill with a ball of aluminum foil. You can also use a half an onion, in lieu of the ball of foil.
Don’t forget to remove and clean the drip tray after every use. Use regular cat litter to soak up the grease, rather than pour it down the drain. When all the grease is absorbed, simply toss the litter in the garbage. Wipe down the drip tray with some soap and water.
Once your charcoal grill has cooled down, take care to remove the ash and charcoal, before wiping it down and storing it, between parties.
Wipe your gas grill down, thoroughly, once a month, and check the propane tank and hoses, for leaks.
Before shutting down your grill during the cold weather months, repeat the thorough cleaning that you performed at the beginning of the summer party season, so your grill is ready to go for next year, with less muss and fuss.
Lastly, take care to cover your grill with a grill cover or tarp to protect it from the elements throughout the year.
Using these helpful tips to get and keep your grill clean, this summer, will assure that you are ready for the summer party season and any other opportunities you may have to fire up the grill, throughout the year.
