Everyone loves grilling out, whether it’s with your family or a large gathering of friends. To keep your gas grill in top cooking condition, you should thoroughly clean it at the beginning of each grilling season. Regular cleaning will help extend the life of your grill parts. So to accompany our article on the best gas grills under $500, we thought we would add a few words on how to clean a gas grill.
Table Of Contents
Cleaning your gas grill grates
1. Pre-heat the grills
the grill for 15 minutes on high heat. The aim of this is to loosen up any left over food and grease making it easier to clean off left behind/stock on food.
2. Turn the gas off
Use the valve on either the propane tank or gas line.
3. Brush your grill
Use a stiff wet wire brush, this gives you the added benefit of creating steam in the process of cleaning.
Adding some dish soap to the water can help dissolve grease.
Another option is to use a specially formulated grill cleaner. It will leave a clinging foam, which will quickly penetrate baked-on grease, food and carbon deposits.
4. Wipe down
When you’re done and the grate has cooled, wipe the grate with a damp cloth to remove any residue or bristles.
Tip: Try to clean down your grates while they are still warm after a cookout to remove stuck-on food.
5. Oil those grates
Once clean, lightly coat the grates with a spray cooking oil or vegetable oil poured onto a folded paper towel.
Tip: This small step will reduce your cleaning next time round because less food will stick your gas grill grates next time you cook on your grill.
Clean the heat deflectors
Remove the heat deflectors located over the burners. The heat deflectors can be cleaned with soap water and dried with a towel.
Remove and clean the burners
Over time, rust, food and debris can cause a blockage to some of the burners’ gas ports causing weak or uneven burning. Remove any blockages using a stiff, wire brush.
1. Clean the ports
Brush across the ports when cleaning them, this is because lengthwise may push more debris into the burner holes.
2. Clean the burner valve
Use soapy water to clean the burner valve, making sure to run water through the inside of the valve to remove any debris.
3. Clean the cook box
First remove the propane tank below placing a bucket under the cook box so it can catch any dirty water. Clean the book box using a brush and warm soapy water, then move on to the underside of the lid.
4. Rinse
Rinse down using a garden hose.
5. Dry
Before placing the gas grill burners back, dry them off using a towel.
Washing the outside of your gas grill
Use a micro fiber cloth and clean the outside of the grill go with the grain of the stainless steel for best results.
Ceramic, porcelain and painted steel surfaces can be cleaned using soap and water.
Tip: Make sure when cleaning the outside of a stainless steel grill, use a specially formulated stainless steel cleaner.
Storing your gas grill
Covering your grill between uses will help keep it clean and extend its life.
If you’re storing the grill outdoors, you can keep the propane tank attached, however if your are storing your gas grill indoors, ALWAYS remove the propane tank, keeping it outside and in a shaded area away from direct sunlight.
If you’re looking to get a new gas grill, take a look at out guide to the best gas grills under $500 where we look at quality gas grills which are value for money!
