Cleaning And Maintenance Tips To Prepare And Keep Your Barbeque Grill In Ready-Condition
Although there still may be snow on the ground, within a short time it will all be melting and you will be thinking about hosting a barbecue backyard event. To prepare, you will need to deep clean and make sure your barbecue grill is ready for cooking. Here is a BBQ grill guide to help you deep clean your grill for spring and to keep it cleaned during the summer months.
Annual Maintenance and Cleaning
When you get your grill out of its storage, make sure the propane is disconnected, and remove the grill rack and place it in a bucket or plastic tub full of warm soapy water. Liquid dish soap is a good option for cleaning the grill. Let it soak for several minutes, then scrub it clean with a scrub brush or plastic scrubbing pad and rinse it clean. Then with a pail of hot soapy water and your scrubber, clean the inside of your grill around the walls and inside the interior cover. Wipe down the burners.
Next, check the grill's propane connections to ensure there are no leaks. A leak can waste propane and also cause an explosion danger. Connect the propane, and turn on the flow to your grill and make sure the burners are on turned off. Mix up a small bowl of half water and half liquid dish soap. Use a basting brush to apply the solution onto the hoses and connection ports on the underside of your grill. If any of the solution bubbles up, there is a leak in the line and you should replace the connection port or line with a new one.
Regular Cleaning
After each use of your grill, it is important to clean the grill grates inside your cooker. Leaving foods to remain on your grill can lead to food borne illness and other bacterial growth when the residue sits outside. You can remove the buildup of food particles after you are finished using your grill or right before you use it the next time.
It is necessary to complete this cleaning while the grill is still hot so you can remove the food more easily when you clean it. If you have just used the grill, wait several minutes for it to cool down after shutting off the burners before you clean. Or turn on the burners and let them heat up for several minutes before cleaning. If the grill is cold when you clean it, the food particles will become more stuck-on.
A grill cleaning bristled brush is a good option to use, especially if the brush has a water reservoir that applies water to the grill through its bristled end. Rub the bristled over the grill until all food particles are lifted off. If you don't have a grill brush, you can use a length of crumpled aluminum foil to clean the grill.