Today marks the official start to summer and that means tis’ the season for endless days of outdoor entertaining!  When the heat hits, the last thing you want to do is warm up the air inside the house by cooking, especially if you’ve got your air conditioning on full blast inside. One of the best things about summer is that you can keep the heat outside by cooking delicious mess-free meals outside right on the grill. Not only does cooking outside keep the heat out of the house, but there’s nothing like the taste and smell of a good BBQ. Now, before you get too excited and try to toss your steaks onto the grill, you want to make sure you clean and maintain your BBQ. Here are 7 easy steps to help keep your BBQ in top grilling condition all summer long.

What you’ll need:
– BBQ
– Grill Brush
– Plastic Scraper

Step 1

To Clean the grill housing, you’ll need to remove the warming rack, cooking grates and flame tamers. This allows you access into the bowels of the grill.  Where all the food bits, juices, and debris run down and accumulate.

7 easy steps on how to clean your bbq

 

Step 2

Using a plastic scraper, loosen up the existing build up and debris in the grill housing and lid. These areas are often neglected and can be a source of unwanted flare-ups.

7 easy steps on how to clean your bbq

 

Step 3

Remove the double burners and use a grill brush to remove any surface debris.  Keeping the burners in top condition ensures your BBQ heats and cooks evenly.

7 easy steps on how to clean your bbq

 

Step 4

Clean the burner port holes using a wire, paperclip or wooden stick. Plugged burner port holes can create hot spots on your grilling surface. If you notice you aren’t getting enough heat in certain areas, plugged burner port holes are likely the reason why!

7 easy steps on how to clean your bbq

 

Step 5

Wash, rinse, and dry the cooking grates to remove particles and debris. Remember to never soak or let soapy water sit on the grates for any length of time as this can cause corrosion and rust to form; you don’t want to cook food on rusty grates.

7 easy steps on how to clean your bbq

 

Step 6

Season your cooking grates several times over the course of the grilling season. The oil prevents water from penetrating through the grates pores. Vegetable shortening or oil is best to use; avoid any salted fats such as margarine or butter as the salt can corrode your cooking surface.

7 easy steps on how to clean your bbq

 

Step 7

Once coated, place your grates in your conventional oven or BBQ for 15-20 minutes at 275 to 300 degrees fahrenheit. This helps to condition the grates and provides a stick free cooking surface.

7 easy steps on how to clean your bbq

 

Following these 7 easy steps to clean and maintain your BBQ will ensure smooth delicious grilling all summer long.

Do you have any BBQ cleaning tips you’d like to share?
Leave a comment below we’d love to know!