Barbecue cleaning tips

To avoid any nasty last minute surprises, clean your barbecue grill after every use to prevent food from sticking to the bars. Wait till they have cooled and use warm soapy water and a stiff wire brush to scrub the grill clean.

Remember

Once the summer is over, give your BBQ grill a deep clean before storing away.

Regular cleaning of your BBQ will make your deep clean at the end of the summer much easier.

Don’t forget to clean the drip tray, as it can be tough to remove the grease and ash that build up there.

Every barbecue is different, it is best to follow the manufacturers’ guidelines when choosing a cleaning method and product. Please make sure that you leave your BBQ to cool down before attempting to clean it.

With the grill in place, get your barbecue to full heat. For a gas barbecue: turn the heat on full. For a charcoal barbecue: throw in fresh coals and wait for them to reach a red-hot temperature.

Put the lid on, and leave it for 15-20 minutes. This carbonises grime and food particles, making the grill parts easier to clean.

Wait for the BBQ to cool down, and then scrub the bars with a steel brush. Make sure to angle the brush into awkward corners.

If you’ve used your barbecue recently, just follow the steps above. However, once a month, it’s worth doing a thorough scrub for a really clean BBQ.

Having used the baking-off method above, remove the grills. Remember to wait for the grills to cool down before touching them, singed fingers aren’t recommended.

Wash the bars using warm soapy water. Avoid using abrasive cleaners or tools that could damage the grill. The manufacturer’s guidelines will indicate which product is best to use.

Rinse and dry them immediately, then rub on a light cover of vegetable oil to prevent rusting.

Make your life easier: clean drip trays after every use to avoid grease and ash build ups. Again, remember that hot grease on your hands isn’t necessarily a good idea…

Clever trick: use cat litter to soak up grease. Always avoid pouring grease into the sink, we promise that it will cause problems. Opt for the bin instead.

Wash all trays using warm soapy water as above.

Remember to turn off your barbecue and wait for it to cool entirely before cleaning! We promise that burgers and hotdogs are better on the grill than your hands and fingers. Follow the above steps regularly so you can sit back and relax with a fresh glass of Pimms and a burger when barbecue season starts! Yum!