BBQ Cleaning Tips

Nothing says summer quite like a BBQ. Many families have cherished memories of being surrounded by loved ones, enjoying a tasty meal cooked outside on the grill, especially on a warm summer’s night. Whilst the meal is great, the clean up is usually a different story which these BBQ Cleaning Tips will help you to minimize.

Keeping it clean is essential to the longevity of your BBQ and will prolong its life. Keeping it clean in between uses will also help to keep bacteria, grime, insects and rodents far away! A clean BBQ will also mean less rust and can even help to improve both the taste and smell of food. Safety-wise, it is crucial to maintain a clean BBQ as fat build up over time can cause fires.

Although many different types of BBQ’s may require individual cleaning methods, below is a quick and easy guide for cleaning a classic gas BBQ.

It can help with the clean up of your BBQ to start thinking about it whilst you cook. Remember, anything you use to cook will need to be cleaned whether that’s the cooking grates, warming rack or rotisserie. If you can, keep your cooking tidy and scrape food away as you go.

Once you have finished cooking and your BBQ has cooled, use a BBQ Scraper to remove any and as much food and grease build up as possible. The more you can get off now, the easier the rest of the job will be. It can be really helpful to have a bin or plastic bag nearby so scraps can go straight in there.

A very important step to complete before unpacking the BBQ for cleaning! You can also use this as an opportunity to check the gas bottle and hose for any cracks.

Take a bucket and fill it up with water, adding some Dishwashing Liquid as you go. Once your BBQ is very cool, you can unpack it and give each piece a quick scrub with the soapy water and grill brush. It may take some elbow grease but this will certainly help to speed up the cleaning process.

A clean BBQ is a safe BBQ and carbon build-up can cause smoke. Getting rid of carbon build-up and very tough fat stains can be made simple through the use of a good Oven and Grill Cleaner.

Once you have given all parts a solid scrub, you can simply dilute the product per the package’s instructions and soak each part for two hours. This will help to remove stubborn stains, fats and carbon deposits. A product such as an Oven & Grill Cleaner may be tough on stains but it can also be tough on hands so be sure to wear gloves and use with care.

Once all of the pieces of your BBQ are nice and clean, it is important to protect them. Rust build-up can occur over time if you are not careful about protecting it. A helpful tip is to always add sauce or marinade beforehand instead of smothering sauce directly onto your meat as it can cause excess dripping directly onto the BBQ which doesn’t help with rust.

Another important tip is to always remember to oil your BBQ. This can be done very simply by coating the grates with vegetable oil (or another cooking oil that has a high smoke point). You can easily use a brush, piece of paper towel or rag to do this. You want just a very thin, even coat of oil to keep to help shield it from water and in turn, prevent rusting. Don’t use a can of oil for this – especially near flames!

Keeping the drip tray clean will certainly help to keep pests and rodents away from your BBQ. This will also help to keep it fresh for the next time you use it so although it’s not a pretty task, it will mean that the next time you BBQ, it will be nice and clean.

The Drip Tray can easily be cleaned by using a Grill Scraper. Any leftover grease can be cleaned up with soapy water or even BBQ Wipes that are widely available across the market. This is the perfect time to line your Drip Tray with some aluminium foil which will help keep it extra clean next time you use it.

Now that you have cleaned the inside of your BBQ, you can tackle the outside. If your BBQ is stainless steel, you will want to use something gentle like soapy water. This is especially important if your BBQ is located near a pool, where, over time, chemicals and saltwater may accumulate on it.

Overall, the outside of a BBQ can be cleaned with soapy water, a sponge and some paper towel. When everything is nice and clean, you can cover your BBQ with a cover to keep water, dust and pest off it.

• Some BBQ’s have a bottom shelf and some even have cupboards. If you notice that crumbs and dirt have accumulated on either, you may consider using a small hand vacuum to suck up any small pieces and do a quick wipe with some multi-purpose cleaner or a damp cloth.
• If you live in a particularly dusty, rainy or snowy climate, be sure to invest in a good cover for your BBQ to ensure it is protected at all times regardless of what the weather is like.
• Don’t forget to clean your tools also. If you can use a Grill Brush or Scraper, it is important to take good care of these too so they last the test of time.

If you have any additional questions about BBQ cleaning tips, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] or call us on (02) 9838 1220.