The Best Ways to Clean a BBQ Grill – 10 Quick and Easy Tips

Not too mention, not keeping your grill clean could attract all kinds of vermin including mice, rats, insects and other undesirable critters.

A sparkling clean BBQ grill is so nice to have and even nicer to cook on. Below we have compiled the best methods to clean a BBQ grill, try these ten quick and easy tips to keep it in top condition and enjoyable all year round.

Best Ways To Clean A  BBQ Grill

1. Steam Clean

Grills take a bit of time to cool off. Before you turn the grill off you can place a porcelain or tin bowl with some water inside it and cover the grill steaming it for around 5 minutes.

The water vapor coming out will keep the grease from sticking. Without this step, grease usually becomes stubborn and needs a more aggressive strategy for removing.

You can use a paper towel to wipe off the loose grease. I don’t recommend using cloth or sponge for that as they become useless and soaked with grease and oil, best thing is to just throw them out.

2. Burning Off

This process involves firing up the burners on full for around 5 minutes after cooking. The use of some paper towels and a Grill Brush help to lift the stubborn leftovers.

After burning off for 5 minutes, grab a handful of paper towels and remove the excess grease and oil using a pair of tongs. Once you have done this, clean the plate and grills with a wire BBQ grill brush to remove any further residue.

Another quick wipe with some paper towels and your grill is in perfect shape for your next summer barbecue get together.

3. Use a Lemon or an Onion

We’re still at the cooling-off period of the grill, cleaning is very practical right after grilling, and it saves a lot of scrubbing time later on.

You can pick half a lemon or an onion, stick a fork firmly in it, and sweep it across the bars. This removes a lot of the food that remains stuck to the grill. It also leaves a good smell that goes nicely with the BBQ ambiance.

4. Tip the Ashes in a Bucket

Transferring the ash from the charcoal grill to its final destination is a messy process. To eliminate the possibility of spilling, just put a metal bucket or container beside the grill. Slide the base out and tip the contents into the bucket.

This is also the safe way to dispose of the ashes, as some of the embers might still be glowing, and this could cause a mishap if it goes directly into a plastic bag. Give it enough time to make sure it’s all done.

5. Use Dish Soap to Clean Your Grill

Some fancy cleaning items claim to return your grill to the factory condition. You might want to buy them, that’s nice, but you could also use a regular dish-soap to get good results.

Take out all the removable parts and soak them in dish soap and warm water. After about 30-60 minutes you can take them out, scrub them a little, and your plates, grids, and bars are all sparkly.

6. Give the Outside Surface a Liquid Soap Makeover

You can also use the same dish-soap to clean up the outer surfaces, handles, and knobs. Use a sponge of a piece of cloth slightly dampened with dish soap and water and sweep off the various surfaces.

Use a dry cloth to remove the remaining humidity, as this is one of the main reasons for rust, you don’t want that. You can apply a thin rub of vegetable oil around the grill for some more protection of the metal, and of course extra shine.

7. Use Your Dishwasher

If the parts of your grill can fit inside the dishwasher, then, by all means, use the household technology.

Set the dishwasher to a suitable program, usually the one that does the pots. When the grill parts come out, they are usually in amazing condition. Reassemble the components back into your grill and you are ready for your next round of barbecuing!

8. Remove the Grease Tray Without a Mess

This is one of the more challenging aspects of grill cleaning. The ‘fat trap’ or grease collector fills up to the brim by the end of the BBQ, and hence the difficulty of moving it.

You can mix with some of the ashes if you’re using a charcoal grill or use cat litter to clamp the oil. You can also mix it with flour or oats. The resulting consistency of grease is much easier to handle and dispose of.

9. Use Vinegar Spray

Vinegar is very powerful in dislodging stubborn grease from various surfaces. You might want to leave it a little on the extra stubborn charred spots.

10. Sprinkle Some Baking Soda

Baking soda has a multitude of applications around the house. Use it to de-grease your grill by powdering it around the various surfaces and crevices.

Pour some water and you’ll notice it bubbling and fizzing. Wipe it off with a paper towel, and if you need more work, just add a little liquid soap for the final touches.

11. Bonus Tip – Fire up the Grill When You’re Done

This will vaporize all the remaining traces from the detergents or degreasers. A mere 15 minutes will be sufficient, so the next time you have a BBQ it will only smell of deliciousness.

To Sum Up

Barbequing is fun and having a clean grill shouldn’t take away from that. Working smart is better than working hard, right? And these are some of the best ways to clean a BBQ grill.

I hope these simple tips were helpful and let me remind you that Agatha Christie wrote her finest books while doing the dishes.