The spring is on its way and it’s time to take your barbecue out and throw up a house party. But you probably haven’t used it since the last summer and it needs some cleaning work to be done in order to be up and running.
Do not worry, BBQ grill cleaning is not at all difficult. You should start by reading the manufacturer’s suggestions, although mostly they all will have a similar outline.
Follow the herein below steps and you will find your barbecue as good as new.
Steps:
- Take your BBQ out in the sun and fire it to the maximum heat possible. If it is a charcoal BBQ, put some fresh coals and wait until they get red-hot.
- Let the lid be in the on position and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes. This will burn the carbon in the food particles that is stuck with the grill. This is called carbonization.
- Turn the burner dials at the ‘off’ position and disconnect the propane supply to the BBQ.
- Allow the BBQ to cool down and put your cleaning gloves on. Scrub the bars with a steel brush and make sure that to scrub the corners properly. Do not forget to scrub the underside of the hood.
- If you are sure that the BBQ grill is cool now, remove it and put it in soapy water. There are many products that are specifically designed for cleaning BBQs, you can use them. If you don’t have those, use the common cleaning solution that you use for cleaning your other utensils.
- Clean the grill with a sponge for a couple of minutes. Rinse it with clean water and dry it. Rub some vegetable oil over the grill to protect it from rusting.
- Wash all the trays of the BBQ as you did with the grill, and let them dry. Clean the outside of the grill with soapy water and a soft sponge.
- Dust down the other parts of the BBQ and clean it as well.
- After all the parts get dried, reassemble them one by one, the way it was disassembled.
- Reconnect the propane gas tank and turn the supply on.
What you shouldn’t do
- If your BBQ has shiny stainless steel surface on any of its part, do not use a harsh steel brush on them as this will make it lose the sheen.
- Do not use harsh chemicals, use only the chemicals you use for the dishwasher, as the residual chemicals may get into your food and might be harmful to you. Even if it is not, it can spoil the taste of your food.
- Using aluminium foil for incineration or during cooking can be dangerous. This can get you very high temperatures.
- Make sure that the propane gas supply is connected properly and there is no leakage from the connection.
- Always season the grill, this will keep the grill from getting corroded.
Remember, if you clean your barbecue after every use, there won’t be a build up of food particles on the grill. The cleaning will take long only if you haven’t cleaned it in a while.
Some Tips:
- Do not use salt before grilling your food, this will dry it.
- The lid position is determined by the type of food that you are cooking.
- Use a little oil and apply it with the help of a brush to keep it from sticking on the grill.
- Pre-heat the grill before you cook your food on it and increase the heat, this will help it sear. Turn the heat down after this happens and continue with normal heat.
- Be patient. If you are barbecuing your meat, do not turn it too often. It takes time.
Barbecuing with friends is a wonderful experience. Do not procrastinate and get your BBQ cleaned ASAP!
