How To Clean A Grill In Minutes

Fast Way To Clean A Grill

Nothing beats the taste of barbecued food, whether it’s steaks, chicken, mushrooms, peppers; the unique flavor is mouthwatering. However, cleaning the grill is another matter. Whether you have a gas grill, charcoal grill, pellet grill, or even indoor grill, grills will leave a similarly charred residue that will need quick cleansing in order to avoid a much harder job later on down the line.

1. The Vinegar Option

White table vinegar can be used to great effect when cleaning your filthy blackened grill. Mixing this kind of vinegar with water, two cups of each, into a spray bottle, will make it easy for you to spray your dirty grill and leave it soaking for around 10 minutes. You can even spray some of this solution onto some aluminum foil and use the added abrasiveness to loosen up bits of ground-in dirt. You can even use it with a cotton cloth to clean the outside of the whole grill, not just the filthy grill racks per se. Afterward, spray it all down with your hose on full power and leave to dry, if possible, in the sun.

2. The Vinegar + Baking Soda Option

If the grease and grime are even more clogged in, consider mixing white vinegar and baking soda in a 2:1 ratio. Depending on how large your grill area is, take out the racks and place in a sufficiently sized plastic bag; a trash bag, perhaps. Pour in your vinegar/soda mixture and slosh it around so that all areas of the grill have been covered. Leave overnight, then first thing next morning take out the grill racks and power-hose to loosen the grease. Voila! A nice, shiny-looking grill, ready for action.

3. The Steam Option

A household steam cleaner can save you a significant amount of time in your bid to return your grill to pristine working order. If you have a ‘steam brush’ add-on then use this; if you don’t then hold the steamer with one hand and the grill brush with another. Make sure you’ve first poured in about 160ml of water to your steam cleaner, then methodically work it up and down your grill racks, ensuring it’s disconnected from the gas tank if it’s gas-powered. You can also blast away dirt and caked-on grime from the top cover, burners, walls, as well as grill racks, to leave a new-looking grill once done.

4. The Bristle Option

If you have a porcelain coated grill rack then you might consider using a grill brush; a brass bristled one is best. If you don’t have any, then a scrunched-up ball of aluminum foil will do. Use it in combination with hot soapy water or a household cleaner to scrub away charred filth, wiping it all down with a dishcloth immediately afterward. For carbon stains that don’t seem to come out, a wire brush and household cleaner might be better.

5. The Coffee Option

Coffee contains within it an acidic property that works particularly well on grills that are moderately dirty. Simply brew some coffee, then use it to soak the grill and its utensils for about 60 minutes. Afterward, rinse and scrub with lukewarm water and the results will be impressive.

6. The Beer Option

This will require you first to warm the grill or perhaps just leave it on after use. Then, pour about half a bottle of beer on to the grates and use a scrubber or wire brush to scrub away the loosened dirt.

7. The Onion Option

Onions can be effective at doing a fairly mild cleansing if your grill isn’t absolutely caked with black, thickened meaty remains. Cut an onion in two, rubbing it up and down a warmed-up grill. The grill’s grease will be broken down by the onion moisture that is released; no chemicals or additives required.

8. Scrub The Base

You can re-use some of the remaining charcoal for future grilling, assuming you have a traditional grill, while the ash remaining in the base should be safely disposed of. Warm soapy water can handle the rest.

9. Scrub The Outside

Hot soapy water, stainless steel cleaners, or stainless-steel wipes are your best form of attack when it comes to cleaning the outside frame of your grill. It is best to do this every time, so as to avoid the possibility of rust forming over the years.

10. Kill With Heat

If you’ve used any chemical agents, including soap, you should turn on your grill for about 20 minutes, in order to purge it from any lasting remains of odors which might affect the taste of future grilling.

Hopefully, these inexpensive and easy steps will help you to have a wonderful summer of delicious grilling. Probably the worst thing you can do is ignore the cleansing of your grill, because this will only lead to problems such as rust and food poisoning, at some point in the future.

Sources:

1. Cleaning Your Grill With Natural Cleaners – Escoffier
2. Grilling Season Begins With a Clean Grill – MSU Extension
3. Tips for Cleaning Your Outdoor Grill (cleaninggrill) – Nebraska Extension In Lancaster Country