Best Methods to Clean Your Charcoal Barbeque or Gas BBQs Inside And Out

Article Written By: Scott L Morris

The last barbecue of the year is a tempting one to leave as is, but you are risking severe annoyance come your first barbecue in Spring, and more importantly you will shorten the life of your beloved grilling machine. Life will be much easier if the dirt is loosened before scrubbing. A quick way to achieve this is to scrub at the end of a cookout when the charcoal bbq is still warm, and the grime hasn t had time to cake on yet.

If you are still entertaining and don t fancy it, or just forget, then there are still options available. For lidded barbecues, a neat way of softening up dirt is to place a water-soaked newspaper or equivalent inside and use a gentle heat again for 30 minutes or so. This will basically steam clean the entire inside, and you will laugh as you gently wipe the dirt afterwards. Obviously this is easy for gas models, but if you have charcoal try using a few small pieces of wood or other easily combustible material to get some heat going, or just a few coals if you must.

Keep an eye on the newspaper though and make sure it doesn t burn or you ll have more mess on your hands! Whether you steam or not, chemical cleaners are also a good option. Remove the grill and place on some newspaper, and spray liberally with oven cleaner or other spray on cleaners (like you would use in your kitchen) and leave for an hour or so.

Now it s time to get scrubbing. Don t use balled up pieces of foil on your nice new grill, instead use special scrubbing stones or scrapers which you canl buy to break off tough, brittle dirt. Softer mess can be removed with a regular soft cloth or pan scourers. Be careful with enamel-coated grills, you should loosen dirt really well first and then use a gentle force as possible. Finally, give the barbeque a good rinse and leave to dry.

If you have managed to steam-soften the inside of the barbecue itself then things should be easier. For simple charcoal barbecues, scoop or tip out any coal mess, and wipe up the last bits with some moist kitchen roll. Now wipe the surfaces down with a soft cloth covered in spray cleaner, gently scrubbing any stubborn areas. If there are areas which have burnt on food you can t remove, you may have to spray on some oven cleaner and leave for a while but read the cleaner directions to make sure it is suitable for the surface in question (i.e. enamel, painted, metal etc).

Don t worry about the base where the coals sit as this is unlikely to be looking great as scuffs and burns build up here. As long as it is clean and free from old waste you won t get any nasty smells in the next cookout. Gas barbecues can be a little more tricky. Many areas can be cleaned just as with the methods above, but gas outlets and lava rocks etc add extra work. Start by removing any lava rocks or ceramic coals and place them into a bucket of warm soapy water. If you can now clean around the burners and flavouriser bars with ease - great. However, you may have to remove some parts to clean them properly, so consult your manual, and remember to not begin removing any gas-ferrying components that you're unclear about.

Place them back again when you're done, and wash the actual lava rocks/coals in the bucket if requirements be and wash all of them in freshwater. You might find these require changing after a year or so if they are gathering grime. Lastly, wash the interior of the charcoal or gas bbq with a hose pipe or perhaps a bucket of water till it appears nice and sparkly, and replace the actual lava rocks and so on. Replace the actual barbeque grill and stand back to appreciate your work.

The outside of the bbq is easy. Simply clean it down with a moist cloth, adding an appropriate solution - regular cleaning up liquid ought to be good, but you can get stainless polishing spray or other material-specific cleansers. Gas control buttons can often be removed to wash, which is essential as you do not want grime to accumulate and trigger tightness. Be cautious with any kind of flaky paint or even chipping enamel - you can always retouch these places but be sure you seek advice from either a guide or even the producer first on what precisely to use. Once thoroughly clean, buff the outside with a dry cloth and add any kind of preservative films you want.

Many people recommend cleaning down stainless versions with oil (even infant oil) to keep the elements at bay, but don t worry too much. It is smart to take time to protect any kind of wooden areas though with a dedicated bbq wood oil treatment. Please, please watch out for chemical preservatives or even treatments you utilize somewhere else in the home. Some might be combustible and also have no place on the bbq!

Right now it is all neat and polished, it will be prepared for the following cookout. If you wish to reduce work later on, try squirting the actual barbeque grill with oil before you decide to cook to really make it more non-stick. Additionally, when the coal area is looking exhausted, add a slim coating of fine sand which will safeguard this.

About the Author

BBQBarbecues http://www.bbqbarbecues.co.uk/

You Can Link Directly to "Best Methods to Clean Your Charcoal Barbeque or Gas BBQs Inside And Out" by using the url:
http://www.allbestarticles.com//food/barbecue/best-methods-to-clean-your-charcoal-barbeque-or-gas-bbqs-inside-and-out.html

This Article Has Been Published on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 and Read 299 Times

Find All Best Articles at http://www.allbestarticles.com

Rating: Not yet rated

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.

Related information on Barbecue

The ABC's of Gas Grill Storage
Best Methods to Clean Your Charcoal Barbeque or Gas BBQs Inside And Out
Outdoor Kitchens Put the Cook Back In the Cookout
Barbecues Are Superb For Summer When Everyone Is Relaxing In Their Gardens
Charbroil Grills - Introducing Infrared Searing With Its Grills
The ultimate barbeque experience