Barbecue grill cleaning recommendations

It’s summer time and the living is easy! One part of easy living in warmer months is cooking outside on the barbecue grill. Whether it runs on charcoal or gas, getting the grease and smells of cooking out of the kitchen eliminates lots of hassle on warm summer days. Eventually, however, even that grill needs to be cleaned. What are the best ways to clean a barbecue grill? These tips are designed to make the job as effortless as possible.

First, it’s imperative to adhere to a couple of very important safety tips when cleaning your barbecue grill. Make sure any hot, used coals are removed from the grill. Disconnect any gas or electric lines. Never attempt to clean a grill when the surface or interior is still hot—or even warm. Aside from getting burned, some cleaning products react differently when used in warm conditions, and may cause unhealthy fumes.

Grill brushes are handy tools for cleaning the actual cooking rack. Purchased in cooking or department stores, they have a wooden, plastic or metal handle and the brush is made of steel wool or coarse wire. These brushes work well for scraping off any burned on food or residue from the cooking rack. They are also a good way to begin the barbecue grill cleaning process. Note: If the rack in your barbecue grill states it is coated with a non-stick finish—do not use the aforementioned grill cleaning brush. It will scratch and remove non-stick finishes.

There are actual products made for cleaning barbecue grills. In the household cleaning aisle of your local grocery or department store, you may in fact find a solution touted as being the newest and fastest way to clean your grill. Do they work? Some grill enthusiasts feel they do—however, they do require users to follow the package instructions and to do a bit of pre-cleaning such as scraping residue with the grill cleaning brush. These products aren’t cheap, however. There is a more cost effective way.

Compare the price of a name brand barbecue grill cleaner and that of a store brand oven cleaner. Buy the oven cleaner. Obviously most oven cleaners are designed to work inside on most oven surfaces. Using this outside on your barbecue grill will save you from most of the unpleasant fumes caused by using this product. Again, start by removing residue from the grill rack. Remove the briquettes and sweep out the base of the grill with a whisk broom or a hand held vacuum cleaner. Spray the cleaning product on the base, rack and inside the lid. Close the lid tightly over the grill and wait at least a half hour—or according to package directions. Using a putty knife or an old spatula—again only if on a non-stick surface—scrape the cleaning product and dirty residue form each portion of the barbecue grill. Wipe up the surfaces with paper towels. Now spray each area with an all purpose cleaner or glass cleaner and wipe again with paper towels. Leave the top off the grill and the briquettes and rack out for at least an hour. This will allow any leftover cleaning fumes to dissipate. Now it’s safe to reassemble your barbecue grill and prepare for your next outside feast.

Bon appetite!

If you feel stressed after your barbeque , call ITT Cleaning Services on 020 8884 9145 for help on 020 8884 9145.