How To Clean Gas Grill After Use – The Ultimate Guide!
If you don’t know how to clean a gas grill after use, that is more important than making the taste.
Sometimes residue left from your last meal on the grates will burn the next time you light your grill.
This will increase the risk of harmful carcinogens, which could pose a health risk, and will also affect the taste and smell of your food.
To avoid all these problems, you need to Clean the Gas Grill regularly to make it free of germs and harmful bacteria.
So, here we are going to explain a few methods to Clean inside and outside the Gas Grill and its grates in different ways using easily available products like vinegar, cleaning rags, stainless steel brush, and a few more.
These methods will tell how effortlessly you can get done your cleaning with great results. After using any of these methods, your grill will look more attractive, and it will last for years.
How To Clean Gas Grill After Use?
When you regularly cook meaty foods on a barbeque grill, the food particles, grease, oil, and even carbon deposits get stuck to the grill. Such deposits are not just embarrassing they harbor bacteria, germs, and dirt too.
Even if you wipe down your bbq grill and put it away for later use, it is always recommended to deep clean the grill before the start of the new season. By following a few steps, you can give your bbq gas grill a fresh look.
Cleaning your BBQ grill with Vinegar:
Vinegar is highly effective and the simplest way to de-grease your grill. It has the acidic acid that eats through grease and oil stuck in the grill.
- Take a spray bottle and add equal amounts of vinegar and water in it. In the case of burnt food, avoid using water.
- Shake the spray bottle thoroughly to get the solution mixed in it properly.
- Take a small piece of aluminum plate to scrub the grill grates. Cut a piece of aluminum plate for scrubbing the grates.
- Crush the piece to make it creased and wrinkled.
- Before you scrub the grill grates, spray the mixture on them.
- Wait for 5 minutes. The food particles and stains stuck on the grill grates will start loosening up after completely getting soaked in the solution.
- For effective scrubbing, spray the vinegar mixture on the aluminum foil also to remove the stains and food particles on the grates.
- Now use clean water to rinse the grates. The loose particles on the grill will be removed.
- Use either a kitchen towel to dry up the grates or you can put them in an open area to get them dried by the air.
- Discard the aluminum foil used to scrub the grates for removing dirt.
Deep Cleaning a BBQ with Vinegar & Baking soda:
Baking soda has the quality to soften the hard strains for easier cleaning. The added advantage is that your grill will be free of germs, etc. If you observe that your BBQ grill choked due to grease and grime, you can perform deep cleaning with white vinegar and baking soda in the following simple steps:
- Remove the grills and put them in a large plastic bag.
- Make a mixture of one cup of vinegar and half a cup of baking soda in a bowl.
- Spray the mixture on the grills inside the plastic bag and leave it for soaking overnight.
- The first thing you will do in the next morning is to rinse the grills so that the loosened grease and other particles come off.
HOW TO CLEAN A GAS GRILL WITH OVEN CLEANER?
Generally, cleaning your gas grill depends upon its usage. Grilled foods are mouth-watering feasts, but cleaning the grill remains a tough job. If you notice your grill is heating up less than usual, there is a sure chance that your gas grill is overdue for a cleaning.
The reasoning behind cleaning the gas grill is that too much grease, carbon, burnt food particles, drippings, etc. leave an unpleasant coating on the grills, affecting both the effectiveness of the grill and the quality of the food being cooked on that grill.
It is always recommended to conduct proper cleaning of your grill before the start of the grilling season. A great way to do this is to use a standard oven cleaner to break down the hard residues and buildups caused by previous grilled foods.
Steps for using the oven cleaner to clean your gas grill:
- Close the lid of your gas grill and turn on all the burners of your grill on high for up to 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes of burning, turn off the burners and let the grill cool a bit.
- Take a metal brush and use it to loosen the residue from the grill rack. This will help in avoiding flare-ups besides preventing sticking.
- When the grill becomes completely cool, take a soft cloth, soaked in warm, soapy water, and wipe the inside and outside surfaces of the grill.
- Lastly, use clean water for rinsing and wipe dry.
In just a few swipes, you will observe that the burnt food pieces and grease practically disappear from your gas grill, and your grill will shine too.
In modern times, oven cleaners have proved much handy to people who regularly cook food on their grills. This is because only wiping the grills is not enough, and deep cleaning with an oven cleaner is a must.
By using the oven cleaner properly, you are a few steps away from deep cleaning your grill.
You might require paper towels, a pair of gloves, rags, detergent, and water. Don’t forget to turn off the gas supply. It is good to detach the gas tank from the grill before cleaning.
- In the first step, you can remove the grill’s ash pan from inside of the oven. Wipe the residue in the pan until only a few particles remain. After this, replace the ash pan on the grill.
- Properly coat the surface of the grill/ grates with the spray nozzle of the oven cleaner. You can spray an oven cleaner on the inside of the oven. Avoid spraying the exterior part of the grill as the oven cleaner might damage its enamel surface.
- Let the coating set for at least 20 to 30 minutes. The hardened food residue will get softened which you can easily wipe or scrub.
- With the help of fresh paper towels, you can wipe the grates thoroughly. If the towels get soiled, replace them with a clean one. You can then clean the inside of the oven by removing the grates from the grill.
- Take two tablespoons of dishwashing detergent and mix it in a gallon of water. Wash the grill and grates with this solution.
- You can clean the interior and exterior of the grill with the same detergent. It will further add to the cleanliness of the grill. Use water to rinse everything so that no detergent is visible and the grill looks sharply clean.
HOW TO CLEAN THE INSIDE OF THE GAS GRILL?
Cleaning the inside of your gas grill keeps it hygiene besides letting it work effectively for a longer period. Knowing the steps to clean the inside of your grill will make your life easy while doing the grilling job.
● Cleaning Grill’s Lid
When in use, grease and smoke particles change into carbon, form deposits on the inside of your lid. These deposits eventually peel and look like paint. Although non-toxic, these deposits may fall onto your food if you do not clean the lid regularly.
You can use a stainless-steel grill brush to remove the carbonized grease to clean the inside of the lid. Use a paper towel to wipe the inside of the lid while the grill is still warm but not hot enough. This will help to minimize further build-up of grease.
● Cleaning the Cooking Grates
Whenever you use your grill, preheat it on high, for 15 minutes at least, while keeping the lid closed. Use a stainless steel grill brush to clean the grates. You can also use scrubber pads for thorough cleaning after the grill becomes completely cooled.
● Cleaning the Flavorizer Bars
Let the grill cool completely, then use a plastic scraper to scrape the Flavorizer Bars. If necessary, you can use a stainless steel grill brush on the bars. Remember, the Flavorizer Bars can get rusty due to exposure to high heat and food drippings. They are no need to replace them unless you see holes or cracks in them.
● Cleaning the burner tubes
For safe and optimum performance, the portholes and the air shutter screens on the ends of the burner need to be cleaned regularly.
You can clean the outside of the burners with a clean stainless steel grill brush by wiping it across the top of the burner portholes. Use a soft brush to clean the air shutters screens by locating the ends of each of the burners.
Always clean the burners with a new brush as the previously used brush may transfer grease from the grates onto the burners. To avoid gas flow issues, do not put sharp objects into the burner portholes.
● Cleaning the Heat Deflectors
The job of heat deflectors is to distribute heat evenly while cooking on the grill. If there are heat deflectors under your grill’s burners, scrape them with a plastic scraper, or brush them with a stainless steel brush. That will enhance the grill’s cooking performance.
● Cleaning the Cook box
Grease accumulates inside the cook box and can cause flare-ups. Use a plastic scraper to wipe the residues off the sides and bottom of the cook box.
● Cleaning the Grease Management System
The grease management system funnels grease away into a disposable drip tray. It can easily be removed, clean, and replaced. Use a plastic scraper to wipe out the excess grease found in the disposable drip pan. Discard the pan if necessary and replace it with a new one.
A Clean Grill Is a Well-Functioning Grill. As an ardent grill user, you will never want any buildup of dirt or grease in your grill. Also, you would ensure that the gas flows easily through the ports without any scary flare-ups, or unwanted smells, coming from your grill!
Just follow the simple steps to clean a filthy gas grill.
Things you need:
- Gloves (optional)
- Stainless steel grill brush
- Cleaning rags or fresh paper towels
- Bristle brush or putty knife
- Soap and water
- Gather your cleaning supplies: You might want gloves, and you’ll need a grill brush or other cleaning brush, cleaning rags or paper towels, a bristle brush or putty knife, and soap and water.
- Turn off the gas supply: Make sure the gas supply is turned off, or you can also detach the gas tank from the grill.
- Remove the grill grates: Pull them out so you can do a thorough clean.
- Clean the grill grates: Scrub them with a grill brush or other coarse cleaning brush.
- Clean anything covering the burners: Remove any V-shaped metal heat tents, ceramic briquettes, or lava stones that cover the burners, and brush them clean.
- Clean the burner tubes: Lightly brush the burner tubes and make sure all the gas ports are clean and open.
- Clean the bottom of the grill and the lid: Brush or wipe any debris out of the bottom of the grill. If there is peeling black stuff (usually carbon flakes and grease) on the grill lid or bottom, use a bristle brush or putty knife to scrape it off.
- Clean the grease collection tray: Clean the grease collection tray with soap and water, or replace any disposable pans as needed.
- Dispose of grease properly: Don’t just wash it down the drain! Pour it into an empty can or non-recyclable bottle, let it harden, and then throw the whole thing away.
- Wipe down the outside of the grill: Wipe down the outside of the grill and any side tables with soap and water.
- Put the grill back together: Put all the parts of the grill back together; now you’re ready to grill!
HOW TO CLEAN THE OUTSIDE OF THE GAS GRILL?
Grills typically include a combination of stainless steel, porcelain-enameled steel, painted steel, and plastic, etc. in their body. Accordingly, it becomes important that they look great for a longer period. A few methods are provided below to clean various types of grill’s outside surfaces.
CLEANING STAINLESS STEEL SURFACES
- Choose a nontoxic and nonabrasive stainless steel cleaner to clean the exterior stainless steel surfaces.
- Use a microfiber cloth to clean in the direction of the grain of the stainless steel. Never use paper towels or pastes to clean the exterior. They will change the color of the exterior metal by removing the chromium oxide film coating from the surface.
CLEANING PAINTED, PORCELAIN ENAMELED, AND PLASTIC COMPONENTS
- Use paper towels or clean cloth along with warm soapy water to clean these parts.
- After the surfaces are wiped down, rinse them, and dry thoroughly.
CLEANING THE OUTSIDE OF GRILLS USED IN UNUSUAL ENVIRONMENT
If you are using your grill in a relatively harsh environment, it needs to be cleaned from outside frequently. Where acid rains, pool chemicals, and saltwater are in abundance, the rust appears on the exterior quite soon.
- Take warm soapy water and wipe down the outside of your grill.
- Rinse it and dry it thoroughly.
Cleaning a gas grill varies according to the make and model of a gas grill. However, to properly clean a gas grill, you’ll need:
- Bucket of water
- Some liquid dishwashing detergent
- White vinegar
- Clean rags
- Brass wire brush
- Putty knife
- Water (a garden hose makes it easier to clean the exterior)
Cleaning the Outside
- Close the top and any compartments underneath.
- If the exterior of your gas grill is plain or painted metal, or porcelain, never use an abrasive cleaner as it may cause scratches on the outside surfaces.
- Take extra care in case of rusty grills.
- Pour water in the bucket.
- Take a clean rag to wipe down the outside of the grill.
- If the bucket water gets dirty, empty the bucket and rinse it. Refill it with fresh water as many times as needed.
- If your grill has a grimy exterior, take a few squirts of dishwashing liquid and warm water in the bucket and swish them to mix. Use a soft rag to scrub the exterior. Afterward, rinse all soap off with the hose.
HOW TO CLEAN GRATES OF GAS GRILL?
Regularly cleaning your grill grates can reduce rust buildup and enhance the quality of cooked food. But cleaning the grates largely depends upon their make, so you would like to be careful while cleaning them. Here is how:
CLEANING PORCELAIN GRATES
Porcelain grill grates do hold heat well and are rust-resistant, but they are not water-resistant. Any exposure to water will cause rust in them. Be careful not to scrape the grates when you cook with metal tools.
- Avoid using metal or brushes while cleaning porcelain grill grates. You may use a soft-bristle or a nylon grill brush.
- Always burn off leftover food residues on the grates.
- Let the grates cool to scrub them with the nylon cleaning brush.
CLEANING CAST IRON GRATES
Cast iron grill grates are durable, withstand high temperatures, and make an even cooking surface. But they can’t withstand water as iron is prone to rust.
- When cleaning cast iron grates, burn off all the residues leftover on the grates.
- Now let the grates cool.
- Scrub them with a nylon cleaning brush.
- After cleaning the grates, dry and saturate them with vegetable oil to avoid forming rust on them.
CLEANING STAINLESS STEEL GRATES
Stainless steel grill grates can tolerate intense heat. They are also rust-resistant. A quick brush can clean them comfortably.
Cover the top of the grates with tough aluminum foil, close the lid and turn on the grill on high for 10 to 15 minutes.
The aluminum foil will intensify the heat on the grates to burn off the leftover food and drippings.
Let the grates cool and use a nylon cleaning brush to scrub them.
DEEP CLEANSE FOR STUCK-ON FOOD
If the food particles don’t come off with a grill brush, soak the grates in a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. The solution will work to break apart the burnt-on food. Here is how it can be done.
- Make a mixture of 2 cups of vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda in a garbage bag.
- Keep the grates in the garbage bag and seal it.
- Let the grates soak overnight.
- Take out the grates the next morning and rinse them off with water. The food particles originally stuck on the grates are loosened if not completely fall off.
- Scrub them off.
- Rinse with cool water and let the grates dry.
Grill grates can be cleaned in different ways; burning, brushing, and soaking.
1. Burning Method
- Heat the grates to a high temperature to burn off any remaining food or grease.
- Cover the top of the grates in aluminum foil and turn the grill on high temperature while keeping the lid closed.
- Leave the grill to burn for 15 minutes.
- Open the lid and let the grates to cool down a bit.
- Use a grill brush to brush off the white ash left in the grill.
You can also put your grates in a self-cleaning oven to run through the cleaning process. Be cautious because this may discolor your grates.
2. Soaking Method
Before you start cleaning, make sure the grill is cool otherwise you may burn yourself. Once ready, use the following procedure:
- Take a bucket, large enough to keep the grates in it.
- Pour hot water and a quarter cup of liquid dishwashing soap in the bucket.
- Add a quarter cup of baking soda in the bucket and stir it until you see a good lather formed in the bucket.
- Put the grates in the bucket and let them soak for an hour.
- Scrub them off with a steel wool pad to wipe out any remaining debris.
- Rinse the grates with your garden hose.
If you can soak your grates in the kitchen sink, it will make rinsing and clean up a little easier.
3. Brushing Method
You can use this method every time you use your grill. It’s best to do so when the grill is still hot. While avoiding your hands from burning, follow these steps to clean the grates.
- Position yourself in front of your grill and put the head of the grill brush on top of it.
- Starting from the top of the left side of the grill, move the brush in the direction of the wires on the grates.
- Continue brushing the grates in this way until you clean the entire grill.
- Gently shake the brush over a dustbin to remove any debris from it.