How to clean your BBQ
Who doesn’t love a good BBQ? Our grills get plenty of use when the warm weather comes around, but it’s important to keep them clean. It may seem like a chore, but a clean BBQ won’t just make your grill safer and more hygienic – it’ll make your whole cooking experience easier! Plus, if you keep on top of it, deep cleaning at the end of the season won’t be nearly as hard. Here’s how to keep your BBQ in tip-top shape this summer!
Cleaning the grill racks
Your BBQ grill racks can easily become caked with burnt-on food and charcoal. This means they’ll heat unevenly, your food will stick, and they simply aren’t very pleasant to work with.
Luckily, keeping your grill racks clean is something you can do every time you light up the BBQ. Once your coals are lit and up to temperature, pop the lid on your BBQ and let your grills get nice and hot. Then, use a BBQ cleaning brush to remove any stuck-on debris. You’re now ready to cook!
If you’ve got a gas BBQ, light the flame and run it on high for a good 10-15 minutes with the lid closed before going at the racks with a barbecue cleaning brush.
The high heat will kill of any bacteria and make the grills really easy to brush clean. Brushing your grill takes no time at all, so giving it a quick brush every time you use it will make the whole cooking experience more enjoyable – it’ll also make deep cleaning your BBQ so much easier when the time comes.
BBQ cleaning brushes are easy to find, but at a push you could also use some crumpled-up tin foil with a pair of tongs to scrub your grills.
For the perfect shiny, non-stick finish, pop some cooking oil onto a paper towel and use tongs to spread the oil over your grill. We’d recommend something with a high smoke point such as sunflower oil, and be sparing with the amount you put on or it could lead to flare-ups.
Deep cleaning your BBQ
We’d recommend giving your BBQ a deeper clean at the beginning and the end of BBQ season to avoid anything getting too caked-on. It also avoids any nasty surprises when you bring the BBQ out next year!
Make sure your grill has cooled completely before disassembling. Remove as much ash and charcoal as you can from charcoal BBQs, and disconnect the gas canister from gas ones.
For moderately dirty grills, a simple solution of washing up liquid and hot water should do the trick. Using a sponge or brush, scrub the inside and outside of your BBQ before rinsing it clean – for most BBQs, you’ll find this easiest with the hose or a watering can.
For tougher tasks, you may need to grab a specialist BBQ cleaner, which is more abrasive and will break down caked-on dirt from your grill. Always use gloves and follow the safety instructions when using this stuff! Most cleaners will advise you to spray your BBQ and leave to soak before scrubbing and rinsing off.
Avoid rust by thoroughly drying your BBQ after rinsing. It’s best to clean the BBQ on a sunny day as it’ll dry faster – and it’s nice to be in the sun anyway!
Top tips to keep your BBQ clean
Grab a BBQ cover for your grill. This will protect it from the worst of the weather (and wildlife!) when it’s not in use.
If possible, keep your BBQ in a garden building or outhouse during winter to protect it against the harshest of weathers.
Clear out any spent coals from the previous BBQ before you light it up again. If you’re using 100% lumpwood charcoal, this can be put in the compost heap or used as a fertiliser on your garden beds! They’re high in carbon, which many forms of plant life love. Just make sure you check the packet to make sure there’s no additives – charcoal briquettes have added chemicals and should be thrown away.
Don’t forget to grab all your BBQ and outdoor cooking essentials from wilko.com!
Any cleaning hacks or BBQ tips you’d like to share? We love to learn! Get in touch with us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok & X
