How to Clean a Barbecue Grill

By eHow Parties & Entertaining Editor

Rate: (9 Ratings)

Keeping your charcoal grill in fine grilling form is easy.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

  • rags, steel wool or wire grill brushes
  • Heavy-duty Scouring Pad
  • Garden Hoses And Attachments
  • Liquid Dish Soap
  • Kitchen Sponges
  • Hose-end Sprayers
  • Spray-on Oven Cleaner
  • Nonstick Cooking Spray
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Cooking Oil
  • Old Newspapers

Step1
After you've finished cooking and the coals have died out, brush the grill grate with a stiff wire brush. Next time you're ready to cook, fire up the grill, brush the grate again and then coat it with a thin film of oil. This regimen should keep the grate perpetually clean and ready to go.
Step2
When the ashes are cold, remove them from the collector pan beneath the grill. Allowing ashes to collect in the bottom of the grill for days or weeks will impede air flow and can collect moisture, causing your grill to rust.
Step3
Don't worry too much about baked-on grease or juices that have collected on the walls of the lid or bottom of your grill; it has no effect on how well your grill will perform. Periodically use a wire brush to brush any flakes from the interior walls.
Step4
If you really want to make your grill shine, remove the ashes and grill grates. Hose the grill out, then scrub with warm, soapy water and a fine steel wool pad.
Step5
You can also clean the grates and the exterior of the grill with warm, soapy water and fine steel wool.

Tips & Warnings

  • Avoid using harsh cleansers on any part of your barbecue grill.

Comments

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Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 No need for a lot of cleaners, chemicals and scrubbing here! After I've cooked something, I leave the clean-up until the next time I use it. When I go to cook again, I turn the flames up high on the empty grill while I'm prepping the food. By the time the patties are pressed and the corn is done soaking in water (that's for another tip), the grate is ready for a quick rub with a wire brush. It's not going to get shiny-clean, but the build-up of actual food material will come off easily.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Wait until grill gets fairly hot. Slice an orange in half.Take the sliced orange and rub on grill racks.
Make sure to wear gloves. Works like a charm.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Use a woven mesh steel scouring pad. A brush from GrillWizard.com makes the pad manipulable over a hot fire. Wipe the grate clean with a damp towel after scouring.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 3/17/2006 Here's a method that is very effortless.
If you live around sand, then this is a charcoal grill grate cleaning system for you. Just put grill grate(s) on sand and brush off remains by scraping the top(s) with the bottom of your shoes, back and forth. You don't have to apply much pressure rubbing grate(s), then wash dirt off afterward. No, fumes, no chemicals, no mess, environmental friendly. Worried about germs from the dirt? Don't be. The next time you use the grill, the fire will cure that.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Take an 18 inch long piece of aluminum foil and ball it up. Rub it over the cold grates. When you reheat the grill next time, it will take off any remaining residue.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 After cooking, lay a sheet(s) of tinfoil over your grates (this can be done while you are eating). Leave the grill setting on high. When you are done eating, the grates will clean. You can use a wire brush to get rid of the dust. It wastes a little gas, but there's no oven cleaner or abrasives involved (as well as any elbow grease).

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Put cast iron grates in your oven and set it to self clean. Afterward, season the cast iron as you would a Lodge pan (Crisco, 400 degree oven for an hour). Grates will stay non-stick and great looking for months.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Spread out several thinknesses of newspaper on the ground, lay
your grill grates on top and spray with dish liquid and lots of water. Then add another layer of newspaper and wet that down thoroughly. In about 1/2 hour, wipe it clean.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 The best way to clean the grate is buy a bottle of ammonia and put grate in plastic garbage bag and dump ammonia in bag and let it sit for 24 hours or more. The longer it sits the better it cleans. Wire brush it and it will look like it is new.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 I don't like a squeaky clean grill. Don't clean
grill from last use. Build hot fire,put grill in place, allow to get hot, and use a stick of wood to scrape the top of the grill surface. This gives better grill marks and some
smokiness to cooking.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 If you have porcelain grates and/or flavorizer bars (green in color), do not use steel wool or steel wire brush (this will lead to corrosion). Use only a brass-bristled brush. Remember, porcelain flavorizer bars and grates are dishwasher safe.

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on 9/30/2006 The easy way to clean your BBQ Grill's grate is to simply put it in your self-cleaning oven inside your home... Then turn on the oven's self cleaning cycle... You get a clean grate as well as a clean oven, and no work, no hassel... I know, I have been doing it for years... now if I can just get the rest of my grill into the oven, I'd have a clean bbq pan too!

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 Maybe I'm overly cautious, but I have a grill surface that scratches easily, beyond which, I want my food cooked on a clean surface. I take out the grill top, hose it, use Softscrub with a plastic scrubbie, then I hose it down good. Burning off and using a scuzzy looking brush turns me off.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Make sure you clean your barbecue grill outside. If you are using oven cleaner, you need to be in a well ventilated space. The chemicals can damage your lungs, throat, nose and eyes.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Place your grate in a bucket of lukewarm malt vinegar, that will loosen any burnt on deposits. Afterward, spray the grate with copious amounts of cold water, use a Brillo pad (or some other metal scourer) to clean the grate.

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