Even if you can’t go to your favorite restaurant right now, you can still treat yourself to perfectly cooked burgers at home with your grill. The downside? Your grill won’t clean itself.
Cleaning your grill is not a job most of us enjoy, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. Let’s look at how to maintain your grill through the summer grilling season.
Why You Should Clean Your Grill and How Often
Your grill won’t operate well if there are carbon deposits on certain key parts; this will make it heat unevenly, which means unevenly cooked food. Gas grills, in particular, have parts that require thorough cleaning.
Not convinced? Your food also won’t taste as good if your grill isn’t clean. Old food particles trap bacteria and bad tastes. Now we have your attention, right?
Clean your grill the last time you use it in the summer and also the first time. If you don’t grill that often, twice is probably enough for a thorough cleaning. If you grill every week or so, you might want to clean it more often.
How to Clean Your Grill
You don’t need a lot of expensive gadgets or cleaners. Here is what you do need:
- A bucket
- A long-handled wire brush
- Soap
- A sponge
- White Vinegar
- Baking Soda
With these items, you can get your grill shiny and clean; there is no need to use chemicals you can’t pronounce that could impart bad flavors or worsen your food.
The first step is to turn on your grill and let it burn off any old grime. This step makes the rest of the process easier. Then, for safety, let it cool down completely.
Next, use a brush, soap, and water to clean the grates. Dump any old briquettes if your grill is charcoal.
After that, if your first cleaning didn’t completely work, soak all the parts in soapy water. Dry any cast-iron parts after to prevent rust — don’t air dry. Afterward, you can coat the iron in vegetable oil lightly.
If your grill still isn’t grime-free, you can bust out the baking soda and white vinegar to continue cleaning.
Finally, once the interior is cleaned, start on the easier to reach outer parts of the grill. Take some time to check that all the knobs are in good working order.
You can use stainless steel cleaner if you want to clean the exterior, but you don’t have to. Club soda also cleans stainless steel just as well, plus it’s cheaper and non-toxic.
That’s it! With your grill in good standing, you’re ready to start your role as the grill master. Just maybe skip those kitschy aprons, please?
