How To Clean The Barbecue Tips

No matter the time of year people love to get out in the backyard or patio and barbecue.

There is nothing better than great food cooked outdoors with friends and family but one of the downsides of this is that the barbecue grill can become quite dirty.

My husband is a barbecue expert and because we grill food frequently, we've gotten very good at cleaning the grill because:

1. It's much easier to clean if you clean it right after use.

2. Your food will taste better.

3. Food debris stuck to the grate is most definitely not good for you.

Precautions Before You Start Cleaning:

I want to point out that I do not recommend using a wire brush to clean your grill.

If the brush is rusty, old, poorly made, the grate isn't thoroughly inspected and wiped off after cleaning- or even just a random occurrence, the wire bristles can become dislodged and become stuck to the grate and the food that is consumed.

Needless to say, if the wire bristle is swallowed it can cause a very serious injury.

I recommended using a sturdy metal scraper, a paint scraper or putty knife that you dedicate for grill cleaning. It'll do the same job- with maybe just a little more effort on the sides of the grate. But you won't need to be concerned about stray loose bristles.

Scrapers:

Barbecue grates are notorious for being dirty with burned-on build up, especially if barbecue sauce or other seasoning is used when cooking. To get food residue off the barbecue grill a good scraper will be your best friend.

While some people prefer to clean their grills prior to cooking, you will get much better results results if you clean the grate after cooking when any burned on material is still warm.

We turn the grill on high after the food is removed to help burn off any residue. You can do this either before or right after you have cleaned the still-warm grill. It turns any remaining bits to ash which can be later wiped away. If you are using charcoal and don't have that kind of temperature control, just put the lid on after removing the food to help dislodge the build up before trying to clean it after it's cooled down.

get the grate extra toasty before before

Soaking:

If you are still having problems cleaning your grill after scraping off the leftover food take the grate out of the grill and soak it in a hot soapy water.

This will help moisten any stubborn food particles that would not otherwise come off.

This method is also good to clean the underside of the barbecue grate that are hard to reach while the grate is still inside the barbecue grill.

Oven Cleaner:

If you want to go all out in cleaning your barbecue grill or perhaps it has been quite a while since your barbecue has had any attention paid to it using oven cleaner will take care of a dirty grill, period.

Using an oven cleaner will get into all the nooks and crannies of the barbecue grill and will do a great job of getting the barbecue grill clean. (Think of how well oven cleaner works in the oven.)

Make sure you don't spray oven cleaner on anything other than the barbecue grill so as not to damage any part of the ignition system or the burners.

Wear eye protection and scrub the grill with a plastic bristle brush. Rinse the grill thoroughly and completely before barbecuing food on it.

Citric Acid:

Some people swear by using cleaning product that has citric acid as an ingredient to help break down leftover food particles. However, if you are trying to avoid using store bought cleaners you can use this method and stay green by squeezing the juice from a lemon directly on the unwanted waste before scrubbing it off.

Vinegar:

Yet another tip to stay green in cleaning your barbecue grill is to use a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water. Many people already use a vinegar/water solution to clean around the house and you will enjoy a similar experience when using the solution to clean your barbecue.

All you have to do is spray on the solution, let it soak for a few minutes and then scrub off the residue.

Your Choice of Cleaners and Cleaning Methods:

As you can see, there are many tips to help you clean your dirty barbecue.

From a simple scraper, green cleaners to more heavy duty oven cleaners. Don't forget to soak your grates if you have stubborn food particles or you can attack them by using products and solutions that will not harm the environment.

Yet, the best part of cleaning your barbecue grill will lead to a great time in the backyard with great tasting food.