How and Why to Clean a Grill?

Grill cleaning can be compared to a visit to the dentist: nobody wants it, but everyone understands that it is necessary to do.

What are the dangers of a dirty grill?

• food residues on the rack spoil, and you risk getting a digestive disorder;
• accumulated fat in the grill may ignite and cause a fire.

How often should you clean the grill?

Do you love barbecue and cook on a grill every day? Then a deep clean is enough once every couple of months. If you use the grill infrequently, clean it right before starting to prepare your dish.

What you need for cleaning:

• Rubber gloves,

• Grill brush,

• Plastic spatula,

• Dishwashing sponge,

• Microfiber towel,

• Dish soap,

• Paper towels,

• Rapeseed oil or avocado oil,

• Two buckets.

How to clean a gas grill?

Heat the grill for ten minutes to burn off food residues. Close the lid. Start cleaning the grill from the outside.

• Mix in a bucket dish soap with hot water.

• Wet the sponge and wipe the grill surface.

• Rinse and dry thoroughly with a microfiber towel — do not use paper towels, as small particles of cardboard may scratch the stainless steel surface.

Before scraping the ash, open the lid, turn off the gas, and let the grill cool down.

• Clean the rack from both sides with a soapy brush.

• Rinse and let it dry.

• Dampen a paper towel with rapeseed oil and rub the rack thoroughly on all sides to protect it from rust.

• Remove the thin plate at the bottom of the grill — the metal reflector.

• Empty the waste accumulated in the tray into a bucket.

• Clean the reflector and tray with a soapy brush, rinse, and let dry.

• Gas burners should be cleaned with a brush using gentle up-and-down motions, avoiding debris from entering the holes.

How to clean a charcoal grill?

Close the lid and wash the grill from the outside.

• Mix in a bucket dish soap with hot water.

• Dampen the sponge and wipe the grill surface. If necessary, use the rough side.

• Rinse and dry with a microfiber towel.

Now inside:

• Clean the rack from both sides with a soapy brush.

• Rinse and let it dry.

• Dampen a paper towel with rapeseed oil and rub the rack thoroughly on all sides to protect it from rust.

Get rid of the ash:

• Place an empty bucket under the holes at the bottom and sweep the ash and waste into it.

• Remove charcoal remnants from the walls, lid, and bottom with a plastic spatula.

• Clean the internal surfaces of the reservoir and lid with a brush.

• Rinse and let dry.

How to clean a shabu-shabu pot?

To begin with, remove meat remnants and dried fat.

• Heat the shabu-shabu pot on fire.

• Remove food residues with a metal sponge. You can use crumpled foil instead of the sponge.

To remove stuck-on dirt, use white vinegar.

• Mix vinegar with warm water in equal parts.

• Apply the solution to the shabu-shabu pot with a dishwashing sponge or spray it from a sprayer, leave for several minutes.

• Remove residues with crumpled foil or metal sponge.

• Rinse and dry with a towel.

Protect the grill from rain

The main threat to a grill is accumulated rainwater at the bottom. The liquid seeps inside, mixes with ash, and becomes coal paste. After drying, the mixture hardens like cement, and it's almost impossible to remove. Therefore, you must protect your grill from the rain!

Prevent fires

Leaks are the main cause of fires in gas grills. It is essential to check it before use: add a little soapy solution into the gas hose — if there are holes, soap bubbles will start to form. You must not cook on such a grill!

What to do if the grill catches fire?

• Close the lid to cut off access to oxygen.

• Turn off the gas.

• Use a fire extinguisher if one is available. Just ensure it's suitable for putting out burning oil, otherwise the fire will only intensify.