Grilling season is finally here which means that it is time for you to hold summer cookouts and barbecue parties with your family and friends. It also means that you need to take out your gas grill from the garage and clean it. All that cooking from the last season might have left carbon deposits on every surface of your grill including the grates and burner tubes. So, you need to thoroughly clean your grill before you can actually use it again for making delicious turkey, chicken, meat, and vegetables among other treats.
If you don’t know the right way of cleaning a gas grill, you are at the right place. We will guide you through the process of cleaning a gas grill so that you can get back to cooking tasty delights on your grill.
How to Clean the Interior of Your Gas Grill
1. Stop the Gas Supply
The first thing you need to do is turn off the supply of gas to your grill. Failing to do this can lead to injury as dangerous gasses may build-up during the clean-up process and lead to flare-ups. Locate the supply valve and turn the knob to shut off the supply of gas.
2. Take the Grates off and Clean with Soapy Water and Wire Brush
Purchase a long-handled wire brush from a local supermarket so that you can clean the grates with ease. Avoid toxic cleaning agents. They can give an awful taste to the foods you cook on the grill and aren’t necessary. All you need is dish soap and warm water.
Remove the grates from your gas grill and place them on a clean table. Dip the long wire brush in a bucket of soapy water and scrub away all the grimy build-up from the grates. Thoroughly clean the grates from both sides to ensure that there is no more grime left to affect the taste of your food.
3. Clean the Burner Protectors
The burners of your gas grill might be covered with metal plates. Remove these plates and clean them by scrubbing with a hard sponge.
4. Gently Clean the Burners
The burners of your gas grill can get clogged from overuse. Use a toothpick to ensure that the holes of the burner aren’t blocked by anything. In some gas grill models, the burners can be removed for easy cleaning. If yours aren’t removable, just clean them gently with a sponge while they’re in place.
5. Scrape Drippings from the Bottom of Your Grill
Most gas grill available these days feature a removable bottom pan, allowing you to easily scrape away all the debris. However, if yours doesn’t have one, you will have to use a grill scraper or a metal spatula to push burnt scraps through a hole in the bottom of the grill. Collect them in a trash bag for disposal.
6. Use a Soapy Sponge the Bottom of Your Gas Grill
Once you have scraped drippings, scrub the bottom surface of your gas grill with a soapy sponge to remove grease or grime buildups. Food scraps and drippings can easily build up under your gas grill’s burners just after a few cooking sessions. Clean this area as much as you can to avoid corrosion.
7. Clean the Underside of the Lid
If there are any flecks on the underside of the lid, use a grill scraper to clean them. Be gentle to ensure that you don’t end up scratching the metal or scraping any paint off the lid because this can lead to corrosion.
8. Put the Burner Cover and Grill Grates Back
Once you have cleaned every interior part of the gas grill, it is time to put everything back and resemble your grill. Make sure that the grill grates and burner covers fix on the grill properly.
9. Turn on the Gas Supply and Start the Grill
After you have resembled the gas grill, turn on the supply and fire up your grill. Close the lid and keep the grill running for 10 minutes to burn off remaining cleaners or soap that were used on the grill’s interior surfaces.
10. Oil the Grates
After that, turn off the grill and oil the grates with a paper towel dipped in canola oil. Rub the oily towel over the entire surface of the grates while they are hot. This will prevent the food from sticking to the grates during your next barbecue session.
How to Clean the Exterior of Your Gas Grill
You have cleaned the interior of your gas grill but the job is only half done. You can’t just cook food on a grill that doesn’t look good from the outside, as it will give a bad impression. Your guests might refuse to eat food you prepare on this grill thinking that you didn’t clean it before using it to grill food. So before you throw a barbeque party, you need to clean your gas grill from the outside too. Here’s how:
1. Turn off the Gas
Well, this is the standard step you need to take whether you are cleaning the interior of a gas grill or the exterior due to the reasons pointed out earlier.
2. Clean or Replace the Drip Pan
Most modern gas grills come with a disposable drip cup or pan. Wipe the surface of the drip cup or pan holders with a clean towel and replace the liner with a fresh tin can. If your drip can isn’t disposable, use paper towels to remove the grease. After you have removed the grease, rinse the drip cup with soapy water.
3. Clean the Outer Surface with a Towel Soapy Water
Take some water in a bucket and put dish soap in it to create a soapy solution. Dip a small towel in this solution and use it to clean all the outer surfaces to minimize the probability of corrosion from food bits sticking to the metal surface. Pay special attention to knobs and areas around it and remove dirt and debris that have accumulated there. Wipe the burners and side panels with the towel too.
4. Rinse the Outside of Your Gas Grill After Cleaning
Spots can form because of soap bubbles. To prevent this, thoroughly rinse the surfaces you cleaned with the soapy towel.
5. Use Glass Cleaner to Polish Stainless Steel Surfaces
If your gas grill has stainless steel cabinets, clean them using a glass cleaner.
Tips for Maintaining a Gas Grill
Cleaning a gas grill won’t be a major problem for you if you keep it in tip-top shape. Follow these tips to keep your grill in good condition throughout the year so that it lasts long.
Routinely Check for Gas Leaks
Whether you are using your gas grill or not, check it for gas leaks every month. Run some water along with the gas connections and lines with the gas turned on. If bubbles form, it means that there is a leak. You might have to tighten the connection or even replace the leaking line.
Keep Your Gas Grill Covered
Make sure that your gas grill is properly covered when you aren’t using it. Most brands make covers for their grills but you have to buy them separately. They are worth it since they can protect your grill from dust and other elements that can lead to rusting and other problems.
Clean Your Grill Regularly
Beyond the detailed cleaning – which you should do after every few months – you should also clean your grill after every cooking session. Wipe down the exterior and brush the grates after each use. It is also a good idea to fire up the grill and run it for 15 minutes at maximum temperature every week to burn off the excess gunk. By doing this, you will be able to prevent an extensive build-up of grime.
Our Final Thoughts on Cleaning a Gas Grill
Cooking with a dirty gas grill isn’t just nasty, it is downright dangerous. Food bits and grease built-up can cause flare-ups and even full-fledged fires. Moreover, grimy grilling surfaces impact unpleasant flavors to the food you cook and get in the way of sear marks. This is why it is so important for you to clean the gas grill before you actually use it to cook food.
We have provided a detailed guide to help you clean the grill from the inside as well as outside. By following our advice, you will be able to remove the grime, grease, debris, and food bits from your grill. When you cook on a clean grill, your food will taste better. Moreover, your gas grill will perform at its best and last longer.
This is all we have for you today. Stay tuned to our blog for more interesting information about grills.
