How to Clean Your Grill
We’re firing up the grills this week, prepping for National BBQ Day. But before the cooking begins, we’re starting with a clean slate. Regularly cleaning your grill keeps your grill in prime performance, preventing grease fires and burnt build-up that is known to cause cancer. Plus, your food will taste better without remnants of the last meal you cooked.
Here are a few tips to cleaning your grill -- so a dirty grill won’t taint your next meal.
Start with a stiff nylon or steel coil brush (Don’t use a wire brush! They can lose their small wires in the grates and end up in your food! Scary!). Brush off all the food particles on your
grates thoroughly. If it’s been a while, you may need to remove the grates and soak in warm, soapy water. Once cleaned, brush some oil on a paper towel to rub over the grate.
Clean the inside of your grill with a degreaser. That could be a bucket of soapy water, a degreasing cleaner like Extreme Kleaner, or Trager’s All Natural Cleaner. (If you have a gas grill, make sure to disconnect the gas line before cleaning. And also check your burner jets to make sure there are no clogs.)
Allow enough time for the grill to completely dry. Reassemble any parts you took off your grill. Fire up your grill and let it heat up for 10 minutes before you start cooking.
To keep your grill clean and ready-to-use, make it a habit to clean your grill after every use. The longer charred food sits on your grill, the more difficult it is to clean. After using your grill, let the grates cool. Then spray them with cooking oil and scrub with a stiff nylon or steel coil brush. Lastly, wipe down the grates with a paper towel.
Let’s get barbecuing!
