Easy Step-Past-Step Guide on How To Clean A Grill (Charcoal, Gas, and More)

Get your grill summer set up with our complete cleaning guide.

Whether y'all're an easy-does-it propane enthusiast or an quondam school charcoal purist, everyone can agree – grilling season is the all-time season. Merely when you crack open up that hat for the first cookout of the season and are greeted with last year's grime on the grates, it can exist annihilation but appetizing.

Our advice? Don't wait until yous're prepare for regular cookouts. Clean your grill now — and often — with our helpful tips to make the most of it all summer long. By following a simple routine of cleaning and maintenance, you can become the virtually out of your grill and lengthen its life, guaranteeing years of nifty patio parties.

While cleaning your grill sounds like way more of an annoyance than marinating the meat, shucking the corn and carving the watermelon combined, it really isn't that daunting. And as with any chore, the more than often you lot do it, the less tiresome it will exist. Grill cleaning is, however, a bit messy. Ash and grease and gunk, oh my! So we recommend non wearing your favorite clothes while grill cleaning. Save that cute sundress and your fresh new sneakers for the actual BBQ.

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We broke downwards our grill cleaning guide into categories based on which type of grill you own, including a helpful list of grill cleaning accoutrements and some bonus suggestions on how to maintain a clean grill year-round and in betwixt uses.

Supplies for cleaning a grill

  • Wire grill brush or curly steel scour pad (alternatively y'all can make a DIY grill brush with balled-up aluminum foil and 12-inch tongs)
  • Scraper tool
  • Gentle simply grease-busting dish soap (we like Dawn Dish Soap)
  • Dish gloves
  • Mr. Make clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable

How to clean a charcoal grill

Charcoal grills are easy to utilise (if y'all're patient) but quick to build up with grime. Before you start cleaning, be sure the grill is completely cooled downward. Treating a burn will add way more than time to your grill cleaning regimen, and you lot've got burgers to prep!

  • Remove grates from inside the grill.
  • Remove all the sometime ashes. (Hint: Ash is messy.)
    • Make certain the ashes are completely cooled before doing this! Do non add together water to the coals to absurd them, since this creates a chemical reaction that will erode the metal of your grill.
    • Some charcoal grills take ash catchers beneath the basin, so exist sure to check for ashes there, also. If yous want to go analogue, use a garden trowel to scoop out the ashes. A more effective and modern solution for the ashes is to suck them out with a vacuum hose attachment (store vacs work perfectly for this).
  • Carefully dispose of ashes in a metal trash can or plastic bag.
  • Hose out your grill and its lid to remove any residue ash (think: dusting earlier you deep make clean).
  • Time to put on your gloves. In a bucket, mix a squirt of dish lather like Dawn with some hot water and commencement scrubbing the interior of your grill with a scouring pad.
  • If the interior of your grill is still super gross after your initial hot h2o and dish soap scrub, spray the degreaser all over the inside of the grill and let it sit for about 20 minutes to soften any accumulated grease.
  • While the degreaser is setting on the grill, employ said degreaser to clean your grill grates, using your scraper tool if you demand to.
  • Use your dish soap and hot water solution to wash the outside of the grill.
  • When the grease has loosened from the inside of the grill, wipe the cleaner off with a newspaper towel or rag.
  • Rinse all grill surfaces with make clean hot water.

How to clean a gas grill

Cleaning your gas grill correctly is essential to keeping it functioning at summit performance. It'due south as easy as burn, soak, vacuum and scrub. Then you're adept to sear, melt roast and bake.

  • Turn your grill on high for near twenty minutes with the lid closed. Crank the heat as high equally it'll go to burn off and loosen whatever crud or nutrient build upward.
  • Dip your wire grill brush into a solution of dish soap such as Dawn and hot h2o and scrub the grates from front to back. Watch out for the hot steam this could create, mind your face up and forearms.
  • Turn off the grill, unhook the propane and let it cool. Only seriously, let it absurd all the way downwards. Become have a sandwich or something while yous're waiting.
  • If the grates are however gunky, you can remove them and soak them in your dish soap and hot h2o solution for about 30 minutes. Even if you desire to skip the soaking pace, remove the grates and get them out of your fashion so yous tin can access your grill's interior.
  • Near gas grill parts are removable and the more of them you remove before cleaning the grill's interior, the easier it will go. For example, burner-control knobs, warming racks, grease trays and burner tubes tin can all exist gently removed and individually cleaned with warm h2o and dish soap. You can carefully unclog gas ports with a toothpick, if necessary.
  • Utilise your scraper tool to chisel off any caked-on debris from the within of the gas grill.
  • Take your store vac or vacuum hose attachment and suck out the remaining loose droppings from inside the belly of the grill. Rinse out the inside with a hose, but be careful around any electrical attachments and filaments.
  • One time the grates are done soaking, supercede them and scrape off any remaining build upwards with your wire brush. If they're still bad (and at present nosotros're impressed), try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable which cuts tough grease. Alternatively, a DIY paste of blistering soda and white vinegar should deliquesce any more stage five clingers still on the grates. Rinse mixture off with warm water.
  • Wipe down the outside of the gas grill with soap and water, making sure to rinse off soapy balance with make clean water.
  • Burn down up the gas grill once you're washed cleaning to ensure you've reassembled everything correctly (don't forget to replace the grease trap!) and to burn off any lingering soap or cleaning products before cooking on it.

Seeking even more tips and info about gas grill cleaning and maintenance? We've got you.

How to clean a stainless steel grill

Congratulations on having the easiest grill to use and clean, period. You can make clean this type of grill with near any solution. Selection whatever works all-time for you.

  • Clean your flat top, stainless grill while it'south notwithstanding hot for best results.
  • You can clean a stainless steel grill with either a mixture of dish soap (like Dawn) and hot h2o, prepare-made degreaser or a DIY baking soda solution. Whichever you choose, spray or cascade straight onto the hot grill'south surface and employ a soft bristled brush or rag to scrub off any debris.
  • Try using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable for tricky grease spots or tough stains.
  • Rinse grill height with clean warm water to remove residuum from lather, degreaser or blistering soda. Wipe dry with a clean rag.
  • Never utilise abrasive cleaning solutions, metal brushes or steel wool on stainless steel. It scratches easily. Also, avert using stainless steel shine on your grill, since polish will often become discolored under extreme rut.

How to clean a bandage atomic number 26 grill

Cast iron is super tricky. Like, how are yous supposed to clean something without using lather? Quite the riddle.

  • It'southward all-time to burn off any food built up on your cast atomic number 26 grill by cranking the grill'southward heat manner up with the lid on.
  • Once the grates absurd, yous can use a bristled grill brush to scrub the grates.
  • Apply minimal water on cast iron, otherwise it can develop rust.
  • Coating your cast iron with a light layer of vegetable oil after and in between uses helps to protect the grates confronting rust.

Now yous're all gear up to fire upwards the grill, without having to worry about the grimy ghosts from last summer's burnt bratwursts coming back to haunt this week's grilled romaine and blackness bean burgers. And then set the clocks alee an hour, cascade yourself a Moscow Mule and bust out the bug spray. Leap has sprung, baby.