Photo: Jason McArthur / Flickr

Brits have been barbecuing in record numbers to take advantage of the good weather. But all that barbecuing means your grill can get very grimy – quickly. Many people think that grills don’t need cleaning as any nasties are killed by high temperatures while old food is burnt off. But cooking on old grease and bits of burnt food isn’t a recipe for a great barbecue. Plus, cleaning your grill will cut down on excess smoke. Here’s how.

The right tools for the job

To clean your grill you’ll need a wire brush with a scraper attached to it as well as warm, soapy water, and rags.

Cleaning charcoal grills

Clean a charcoal grill after cooking, before the coals cool down. Simply use a scraper and wire brush to remove any encrusted food and then wash it with warm, soapy water. Wash the grill with baking soda once a month to cut down on cleaning time.

Cleaning gas grills

The most important thing to do when cleaning a gas grill is to first turn off the gas. Switch on the grill’s ‘clean’ function, which will heat it up and make it easier to clean. Use a wire brush with a scraper to remove dirt and then wash the grill with clean, soapy water. Once that’s done, heat up the grill to dry it and remove any soap residue.

Cleaning steel grills

Steel grills should be cleaned the same way that gas grills are, but to keep them in good shape you should never use abrasive cleansers on them or allow them to stay wet for any length of time. Moisture will cause corrosion, so dry the grill thoroughly after cleaning and keep it covered.

Now your grill is clean and ready to go, take a look at some ideas for what you can do with it.

Tags: barbeque, cleaning