Summer is right around the corner, which means grilling season is here! Whether you have a wood pellet, gas, or charcoal grill, there are a few important steps to take before you fire it up for the first time this grilling season.
Clean the Interior
– How to Clean a Gas Grill
Make sure the gas is turned off completely before you start cleaning. Clean off the grates of your grill using a stiff wire brush. Dipping the brush in a mixture of dish soap and water can help remove any stuck-on residue. Once you’re done brushing, use a wet cloth to wipe down the grates.
Once the grates are clean, lightly coat them with vegetable oil. This can be done by simply pouring vegetable oil on a paper towel and wiping down the grates. This helps prevent rust and helps to avoid food sticking to the grates in the future.
Next, remove the heat deflectors. These can also easily be cleaned using dish soap and water (you might want to keep that wire brush nearby).
Once the heat deflectors are clean, it’s time to clean off the burners. Over time, debris in your grill might cause clogging in your burners, so cleaning these every once in a while is helpful.
Re-install the burners, heat deflectors and grates and you’re ready to go!
– How to Clean a Charcoal Grill
Once again, you’re going to want to clean off the grates of your charcoal grill using a long-handle wire brush, followed by coating the grates with vegetable oil.
Next, remove any leftover ash/charcoal from the base of the grill. Once you’ve removed all of the ash, clean out the bottom of the grill by scrubbing it with water and dish soap. Check the vents on your charcoal grill to make sure there isn’t any charcoal clogging the vents. This can cause a build up which will disrupt grilling temperatures and restrict airflow.
Place the grates back on to your charcoal grill, add fresh charcoal and you’re ready to get grilling.
– How to Clean a Pellet Grill
First, remove any pellets from the pellet hopper to ensure they don’t get wet during the process of cleaning your grill.
Here we go again, scrubbing those grates. Clean off the grates using a wire brush, or remove the grates and soak them in a large bucket full of water and dish soap. If your grates are sectioned off into small enough pieces, you can even toss them in the dishwasher.
Using a putty knife or a wire sponge, scrape off any debris from the lid of your pellet grill. Next, remove the heat deflectors and use an ash-safe shop vac to vacuum out debris from the bottom of the grill.
Re-install all of the interior components of your pellet grill and you’re ready to go.
Clean the Exterior
Keeping a cover on your grill when you’re not using it is great to maintain the exterior of your grill, however, giving it a good scrub before the summer is always great practice. Dish soap is safe for cleaning the outside of most grills. Grab a sponge and some dish soap and give the exterior of your grill a good scrub and follow up by wiping the suds away with a microfiber cloth. You can also invest in a degreaser to help remove any stuck-on grease.
Check the Grease Tray
Always check your grease tray before firing up your grill to make sure it’s not full. Check to make sure it is empty before firing up your grill for the first time this summer – an overflowing grease catcher can make a huge mess. Lining your grease tray in tin foil is a great option to make cleaning quick and easy, if you don’t have an aluminum grease tray liner.
Inspect all the components
If it’s been a pretty slow off-season for your grill, make sure to inspect all the components for any cracks or leaks. Check all of the burners and hoses to make sure everything is in working condition before firing up your grill for the first time. If you have a gas grill, make sure all of the tubes and hoses are in good condition and not clogged. This is also a great time to check your propane levels and run to the store to re-up before you invite company over!
Time for a test run
Before grilling for the first time this summer, go ahead and test run your grill to make sure everything is working properly. Fire up the grill and let it burn for 5-10 minutes. Make sure all the burners are working properly and there are leaks, drips or issues with the flame.
Viola! Your BBQ is now clean and ready to take on all of your spring and summer grilling activities. Ready to grill? Place an order online today!