So I went to fire up the grill last night, I took one look and thought… “Yowza, this puppy needs a serious cleaning before I put a $20 steak on it!”
Is your backyard best friend looking the same way? You use it a lot every summer but when was the last time it had a good cleaning? Grilling season is here and now is the time to get it ready!
Here are a few simple tips for giving it a deep, and easy, clean.
The best way to clean a grill after you use it is not to try too hard. Think one thing… oven cleaner!
– Get a good oven cleaner, newspapers, a plastic trash bag, a grill scrub brush or scrub pad, gloves and degreaser.
– Take the cooking grate off and lay it on the newspapers. Put on the gloves and spray it completely with the oven cleaner. Turn it over and spray it again.
– Fold the newspaper over the grill, covering it completely, and then place the newspaper covered grate in the plastic bag. Squeeze out all the air and tie it closed.
– Now go back to the grill itself. Scrape out all the old charcoal (if you are the type of grill master who uses briquets and not just gas) and place it in a trash bag. Do not throw the charcoal grate away.
– Use the degreaser and a heavy scrub brush to clean the inside. Rinse well with the hose.
– Use degreasing dishwashing liquid to scrub the outside of the grill, thoroughly rinse it and allow it to dry or wipe it dry to avoid spoting.
– The next day, put on the gloves again and open the plastic bag.
– Take out the grate and scrub it with the stiff brush. You will find that all the baked on gunk and residue will practically fall right off!
– Take the time to rinse the grate well and then throw out the newspapers and bag and presto… Done!
Not only do you have a clean grill that your neighbors will envy but you will probably also notice your food tastes a little better without all that excess (and previously cooked) taste of left overs.
Now you can put that well marbled Ribeye on there and cook away!
