Clean your Barbeque - Make it Sparkle
The final barbecue of the year is a tempting one to leave “as is”: food items caked all over the gas grills; ash still within the base; tomato sauce covered ignition switch. We’ve all done it, but you are risking both serious irritation come your first bbq in Spring, and more importantly you will shorten the life of the beloved grilling device. Whether gas or charcoal, we run through an array of ideas to clean and preserve your barbecue throughout the year.
The Grill
Existence is going to be much easier if the grime is loosened before scrubbing. A quick way to achieve this would be to wash at the end of the cookout when the bbq is still warm, and also the muck has not had time to cake on yet. If you are still entertaining and don’t fancy it, or simply forget, there are still possibilities. For lidded barbecues, a neat method of softening up grime is to position a water-soaked newspaper or equivalent within and use a gentle heat again for half an hour or so. This will essentially steam clean the entire inside, and you will laugh as you lightly wipe away the dirt afterwards. Obviously this is simple for gas versions, however for those who have charcoal try using several little bits of fire wood or other very easily combustible materials to get some heat going, or even just a few coals if you must. Keep an eye on the newspaper though and ensure this does not burn or you’ll have more mess to deal with! Regardless of whether you steam or not, chemical cleaners will also be a great option. Remove the barbeque grill and put on some newspaper, and squirt liberally with stove solution or other spray on cleaners (like you would use in your kitchen) and leave for an hr approximately.
Right now it is time to get scrubbing up. Do not make use of balled up pieces of foil on your nice new grill, instead make use of special scrubbing stones or scrapers which you canl buy to break off tough, brittle dirt. Softer mess can be removed with a regular soft cloth or pan scourers. Be careful with enamel-coated grills, you should loosen dirt really well first and then use a mild force as possible. Lastly, give the grill a good rinse off and leave in order to dry up.
Inside
If you have managed to steam-soften the inside of the bbq itself then things should be simpler. For straightforward grilling with charcoal bbqs, scoop or tip away any kind of coal mess, and clean up the final bits with some damp kitchen roll. Now clean the areas down with a gentle cloth covered in spray solution, lightly scrubbing any kind of stubborn areas. If there are places that have burnt on food you can’t get rid of, you may have to spray on some oven cleaner and leave for a while but read the solution directions to ensure it's suitable for the surface in question (i.e. enamel, painted, metal and so on). Don’t worry about the base where the coals sit because this is unlikely to be looking great as scuffs and burns build up here. As long as it's clean and free from aged waste you won’t get any nasty smells in the next cookout. Gas barbecues can be a little more tricky. Numerous places could be cleaned just like the techniques above, however gas outlets and lava rocks etc add extra work. Begin by removing any lava rocks or ceramic coals and put all of them into a bucket of warm soapy water. If you can now clean round the burners and flavouriser bars with ease - great. Nevertheless, you may have to remove some parts to clean them properly, so consult your manual, and remember to not start removing any gas-ferrying components that you're unsure of. Put them back when you are done, and wash the actual lava rocks/coals in the bucket if requirements be and rinse them in fresh water. You might find these need replacing after a year or so if they are accumulating grime. Finally, rinse the interior of the charcoal or gas bbq with a hose or a bucket of water until it looks nice and sparkly, and replace the lava rocks and so on. Replace the actual barbeque grill and stand back to appreciate your work.
Outside
The outside of the barbecue is easy. Simply wipe it down with a moist cloth, adding a suitable cleaner - normal washing up liquid should be fine, but you can get stainless steel polishing spray or other material-specific cleaners. Gas control knobs can often be removed to wash, which is essential as you do not want dirt to accumulate and trigger tightness. Be cautious with any kind of flaky paint or chipping enamel – you can always retouch these areas but make sure you seek advice from either a guide or even the producer first on what exactly to use. Once clean, buff the outside with a dry cloth and add any kind of preservative films you wish. Some people swear by cleaning down stainless versions with oil (even baby oil) to keep the elements at bay, but don’t worry too much. It’s smart to take the time to preserve any wooden areas though with a dedicated bbq wood oil treatment. Please, please beware of chemical preservatives or treatments you use elsewhere in the home. Some may be flammable and have no place on a barbecue!
Right now it’s all clean and polished, it will be prepared for the following cookout. If you want to reduce work in the future, try spraying the barbeque grill with oil before you cook to make it more non-stick. In addition, if the coal area is looking tired, add a thin coating of fine sand which will protect this. Don’t forget to cover your barbecue or put it in the garage area if you have one. You will be grateful you did when you move it looking all shiny for the next time.
At BBQbarbecues you can view our entire range and other services that we do by clicking the following links Gas BBQs , Charcoal Barbecues , Patio Heaters, Wood Fired Ovens and Patio Heaters. Look our for our FREE recipes at the bottom of the site !
