How and when to clean your Barbeque grill to keep it in top condition? Are you thinking about this right now?
Here is the perfect checklist for cleaning and maintaining your gas grill. When you follow the given steps, you need not worry about your grill’s condition and its life. Your grill will surely last. And, if ever any problem creeps in, you’ll know before it turns into a costly affair. The grill cleaning rites basically are divided into three phases – at beginning of the season, during the BBQ season and end of the season.
Without any further ado, let’s discuss the main content i.e. the ritual of BBQ grill cleaning.
Beginning of the Season
When the smell of hot barbeque with your favorite seasoning coming from the neighborhood starts enticing you, it’s definitely the start of BBQ season for your time zone. You might want but should not jumpstart grilling without cleaning your grill.
- Start the cleaning with burners and tubes – Uncover your prized possession and start detaching its parts. You shall ideally start by detaching the burners and gas tubes. But, before doing so make sure the tank is turned off. A warm and soapy bath will be enough for the tubes. But, the burners will need a damp wipe followed by thorough cleaning with a toothpick. And, don’t forget to towel dry them after the cleaning.
- Check gas leaks from the safety point of view – When you re-attach the burners and tubes after cleaning the entire BBQ set, make sure to check for gas leaks. Spray some soapy water to the hose and over the gas connection and turn on the connection. If you notice a bubble, that’s the point of leakage. If it’s the hose replace it.
- Give a hot scrub bath to the grills – Your grills need a scrub using stiff-wire grill brush and a hot soapy bath. But, the water can initiate corrosion in the gas valves. So, be sure to cover the valves with aluminum foil before giving your grill the bath. And, yes grills too love to be towel dried.
- Clean the cooking grates – The procedure is similar to the grills. But, if your grates are too greasy you’ll need to re-attach the burners and the gas tubes to heat the grates for 10-15 minutes. Once the build-ups on the grate turn into ash put off the flame and let the grate come to normal temperature before scrubbing it clean.
- Clean the firebox and its component – The cleaning procedure is same but you’ll need a plastic brush to scrub the firebox. If you have left the disposable drip tray from the previous grilling season replace it and clean the drip pan. If a part is broken or corroded then consider replacing it.
- Replenish the fuel stock for the season – You don’t want your favorite recipe to get ruined due to the disruption caused due to lack of fuel. So, be sure to check and replenish the fuel level before you start grilling.
During the Season
You have already done all the major cleaning at the start of the season. Now, you just need to maintain that cleanliness level of your grill as much as you can.
- Do the intermittent cleaning – Clean the grates before each cooking session. Dispose of the disposable drip tray as and when required. Clean the drip pan after an average of five grilling sessions. You just need to keep in mind that your grill is clean and safe enough to continue grilling for the entire season.
End of the season
When it’s the time to pack your grill and keep it for the next season then also you need to do some cleaning so that you find your grill in good condition when you unpack it.
- Burn off the grease to clean the grates – You have already done this multiple times over the season. Burn off the grease in the same manner by heating the grates over a high flame. Scrub clean the grate and towel dry it very well before packing.
- Turn off the gas connection – Leaving the gas connected to your grill is risky when you are not going to use it very soon. So, be sure to securely turn off the connection.
- Pack the grill – Use vinyl cover to protect your grill’s exterior portion. And, don’t forget to cover the gas line connection to the grill so that no insect or reptile creeps into it.
May your BBQ gas grill lasts long!