After a fun evening spent stuffing yourself full of sausages and burgers, and enjoying the company of good friends, the last thing you want to do it clean the BBQ grill. We’ve found some top tips about cleaning the BBQ from the specialists at www.calor.co.uk. As the biggest supplier of gas bottles for gas BBQ’s in the UK, we think they have a pretty good idea of what they are talking about, so we thought we would share them with you.
Cleaning your BBQ after you have used it however, is a job that’s best to get out of the way as soon as possible rather than leaving until next time, as you’ll find that dirt is much easier to remove if done straight away. It also means that your BBQ will be ready and waiting for you to use next time as soon as the sun comes out! Regularly cleaning your BBQ is not only important for prolonging its life, but it also helps to prevent the spreading of food poisoning, and storing a clean BBQ correctly can also help in preventing grime and dust from getting trapped in your BBQ burners or hose, ensuring your BBQ will function correctly time after time.
Cleaning your BBQ does not need to be a difficult or time-consuming task, so we’ve compiled some tips to make your BBQ cleaning a breeze!
Start by cleaning the cooking grates:
1. Leave your BBQ to cool down for around 30 minutes after switching it off, and then if sufficiently cool, tackle the cooking grates, removing them from the BBQ itself.
2. Use a spray bottle of BBQ grate cleaner or a simple mix of soapy water to coat the surface of your cooking grates to degrease and clean. You might want to leave this for a few minutes to soak in to any burnt on food and soften before brushing.
3. While you are waiting for your BBQ grate to soak, why not put all your BBQ tools in the dishwasher (if dishwasher friendly) or your washing up bowl to soak too?
4. Once soaked, you can use a BBQ brush to get rid of those stubborn bits of food stuck to the grate, and brush until completely clean. Now all you need to do is leave this outside to dry, and the hard work is done!
Cleaning the gas BBQ
1. Once you’ve cleaned your BBQ grate, it’s time to move on to the appliance itself. Luckily, cleaning a gas BBQ is easy, because there will be no soot or ash to contend with! Start the cleaning process by simply turning up the BBQ burners for a couple of minutes to remove any last bits of food that are clinging on to the grill.
2. Next, turn the BBQ off completely then safely disconnect the gas. Lift out the grill parts of your BBQ layer by layer and check that there is nothing lodged within your burners to prevent your BBQ from giving you uneven heat. Afterwards, use soapy water or grill cleaner with a wire brush to attack any other food remains and rust spots.
Cleaning your charcoal BBQ:
1. Once your BBQ is over, wait a sufficient amount of time until the charcoals are cold before you begin cleaning, but do not throw cold water on to the coals. Coals can then be removed ready for a thorough cleaning!
2. Once charcoal has been removed, empty the remaining ash and dust into a rubbish bin using a tool to help you scoop it out thoroughly, such as a large spoon or garden trowel.
3. Prepare a bowl of soapy water or spray bottle of BBQ cleaning fluid ready to give your BBQ a really good clean, using a BBQ brush and cleaning sponge.
4. Rinse your whole charcoal BBQ with water, ensuring that no food is remaining on the grill and replace your BBQ grate before covering and storing ready for its next use.
Enjoy spending time with your friends and family this summer. Spend more time grilling and less time cleaning; have us do it for you instead. Call us on 01277 812220 to find out how Maid In Essex can help.