With the weather getting warmer, it’s time to get your BBQ ready for another round of garden cookouts.
Ensure you’re always ready to cook al fresco when the good weather strikes by cleaning your BBQ regularly. After all, a clean BBQ grill is safer, looks great and works more efficiently.
To avoid the nightmare of opening your BBQ and realising it’s too dirty to use, be prepared with this BBQ cleaning guide from Homebase.
Let’s get started with what you’ll need…
Materials
- Newspaper
- BBQ cleaning spray
- Stove cleaner
- Washing up liquid
- Stainless steel cleaner
- White vinegar and baking soda
Tools
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Soften the grime
When it comes to BBQ cleaning, an easy way to soften the grime stuck to your BBQ is by laying water-soaked newspaper over the dirty grill and turning the gas on to a low flame for roughly one hour. This will steam the inside of your BBQ and make the grime easier to scrub away.
Top tip: Keep an eye on the newspaper to make sure it doesn’t burn, as this will cause even more mess.
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Clean and scrape
Once cool, liberally apply your BBQ cleaning spray all over the inside of your BBQ and leave it to work for 20 minutes or so. Then, use a hard scrubbing brush to remove the grime and dirt. Less stubborn dirt can be removed with a cloth and if you have an enamel-coated grill, make sure to apply gentle pressure.
Top tip: BBQ cleaning products can sometimes cause skin irritation, so wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.
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Remove remaining dirt
Once you’ve scraped off the grime, scoop out any mess and wipe the surfaces down with a cloth. If there are still remnants of burnt food, spray on stove cleaner and leave for between 20-30 minutes.
Don’t worry if there are still burn marks along the bottom – as long as the pieces of burnt food have been removed, you won’t get any harsh smells the next time you use your BBQ.
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Clean separate parts
Remove any lava rocks or ceramic coals and soak them in a bucket of warm soapy water.
Carefully unfix any removable parts of your BBQ and give them a good scrub. Then, leave to soak for 30 minutes in another bucket of warm, soapy water.
For any stubborn dirt or grease, mix white vinegar with baking soda and apply to the affected areas.
Finally, rinse the interior of your BBQ with a hose or bucket of water and leave it to dry in the sun.
Top tip: Use this opportunity to check the overall condition of your BBQ and see if any parts need replacing.
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Freshen up outside
Now the inside is finished, it’s time to focus on cleaning the outside of your BBQ.
Use a damp cloth and washing up liquid to clean your BBQ – avoid using steel wool or coarse scouring pads, as they can cause scratches. Then, use a micro-fibre cloth to wipe down and dry the surface.
Top tip: Stainless steel cleaner works as a great final touch.
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Reassemble
Once your BBQ is clean and dry, reassemble the parts of it you removed.
Close the hood and turn the heat on for at least 15 minutes – the heat will help to burn off any remaining cleaning residue and allow you to check everything works properly.
And there you have it! You now have a clean BBQ that is ready to be fired up and used – the only thing left to do is invite a few friends over and get cooking.
Check out our tips on how to cook on a BBQ here.
