cleaning your grill

Mine was gross! It took me the better part of the day to soak, clean, scrub, wash out and high heat spray the rusty parts.

after



before



before

Routine Maintenance
Routine brushing of the grates prevents food and bacterial buildup. A brass wire brush is best for clearing and cleaning off surfaces. After each use, wash and soak your brush in hot soapy water. Then hang dry it with the brush upside down on a grill hanger. Drying the brush naturally ensures the bristles will last a long time. After your brush is dry, keep it indoors to reduce weather exposure to the bristles. After you've brushed down your grill and the grates are at a cool temperature, spray it down with some cooking oil. This prevents your grill from rusting and ensures a long life. If you don't have cooking spray, another option is to pour some oil on your rag and wipe down the cast iron grates. Cleaning the burners is also important as burners can accumulate grease and food, leading to uneven temperatures along your surface. After the burners have cooled, scrub with a wire brush evenly and clean around the ports to ensure food and grease have not amassed. Cleaning out grease traps is important because grease is highly flammable and can cause a fire or heat up all surfaces, including the handles. For charcoal grills, it's important to dump all used charcoal or ash after each use. After dumping out the remains, clean the insides with a wire brush. Ash catchers also need to be cleaned. By keeping the bed of your grill clean, you'll cut down on excess smoke and bad flavors.



Rustolium High Heat Spray Paint

power wand

Semi-Annual Cleaning
Several times throughout the year, it's smart to dismantle your grill and give it an extensive cleaning. If you have a gas grill, disconnect the propane tank before beginning the process. Then, soak the grates in soapy water and scrub. I doused the entire thing with oven cleaner and let it sit for 6 hrs. I also used motor home de-greaser spray I got in the motor home automotive isle at Walmart (yes they do have one of those) If the racks are especially dirty, you can use a steel wool pad. After cleaning your grill, turn it on and let it cook for 10 minutes. This will allow any residual cleaning supplies to burn off. It's also a good idea to check the chassis for rust. Rust easily comes off with a stiff wire brush or a steel wool pad. The joints, connectors and fasteners should also be inspected to ensure they aren't corroding. And re-tightening fasteners, replacing grill appendages (wheels, knobs and handles) and checking hinges is a good idea. I hosed the puppy off inside and out with a nosel thing made for washing cars. you attach the wand to your hose and there is an attached thing that you can put soap in. I used degreasing dish detergent. the sucker has good power and easily blew gross stuff off.

Polishing Your Grill
To polish your grill, sprinkle some baking soda on a sponge and clean off all exterior surfaces. Aluminum foil gently rubbed along your grill can help remove grime and buildup. If you notice any missing paint, grill-safe paint is a good option. I also like to finish off the process with a rub down of wd-40.