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Click, click, click... no flames. Avoid this common barbecue catastrophe by giving your gas grill a thorough cleaning to start off the season. According to the annual Weber GrillWatch Survey, 38 percent of grill owners say they clean their grill only once to a few times a year. Says Weber spokesperson Sherry Bale, "Six percent admit they have never cleaned their grill... yikes!"
Today's gas grills have so many bells, whistles and BTUs that most people are overwhelmed with the task. Just ask David Thiele. He started his own mobile grill cleaning business this year in Colorado Springs to help people handle the dirty deed. If you aren't lucky enough to have Thiele in your neighborhood, take a look at these tips to start your grill off to a good start this season:
Check For Leaks
One of the best collection of tips we've seen on cleaning up a gas grill comes from Lowe's. According to Lowe's home improvement expert, Mike Kraft, your grill is only as good as its parts. In a Lowe's video, Kraft suggests checking for leaking gas lines by coating the fuel line and connections with soapy water, turn the gas on, coat the lines again, then watch for tiny bubbles.
Gauge Your Gas
If you don't have a gas gauge, and don't remember if you have any left in your tank, Kraft suggests pouring warm water over the side of the tank and slide your hand down its side. The spot where you can feel the surface temperature change from warm to cold indicates how much gas you have in the tank.
Clean Up Last Year's Mess
If you didn't clean your grates before putting away your grill last year, it won't be fun to clean them this year. But, there's hope in the form of a homemade remedy. Simply put the caked-on grates in a black or dark color plastic bag, pour a cup of ammonia into the bag, leave the bag in the sun for a day, then open it up and the crud will easily hose off the grills, thanks to solar action. For the inside areas of your grill, Bale suggests using a putty knife to scrape away old residue.
Make Cleaning A Habit
Going forward through the season, clean your grill after each use. Follow tips from the website Gas Grills Now, which suggests this easy cleaning method: Remove cooked food, turn flame to low, brush the grates with a grill brush for a few seconds, turn off burners, let them cool, and only then spray the surface with vegetable oil, which loosens more food from the grates.
Shine Your Stainless
According to the blog, Stainless Steel Grills, there are a lot of dos and don'ts that go along with owning a stainless steel grill. To get that initial shine, it's best to turn to ready-made cleaners you'll find in home improvement and garden stores. For the rest of the season, heed the advice of Stainless Steel Grills' blog: Rinse or clean the surface after each use, then always towel dry. Although the material is durable, it scratches, so never cut food directly on the stainless surface. For more in depth information on maintaining stainless grills, read more on the Stainless Steel Grills blog.
Give It A Paint Job
Bring painted grills back to life by refinishing yours with special high heat paint, according to Lowe's video. Remember to prep the surface first (scrape off loose flakes, then sand) like you would do with any painting project.
There's more to a grill than meets the rib-eye, so when in doubt, always check the owner's manual. If you're lucky enough to own a Weber, you can always call the toll free number (1-800-GRILLOUT) where there are people on call to help you through the mess. With a little bit of early-season elbow grease, you'll be able to keep your grill and guests well fed this summer.
Get more information on cleaning outdoor grills from Eric Stromer and while you're at it, get some ideas to spruce up your deck. And don't forgets to check out DIY Life's grill troubleshooting tips!
Reader comments (Page 1 of 2)
Keep stainless steel looking new by wiping down with WD-40.
ReplyI use WD40 to make my metal surfaces shiny again on my grill-gets rid of all fingr prints.
ReplyAn old cookie sheet with raised edges (less than an inch is best) turned upside-down on the grill will quickly burn off the residue from the previous grilling after a few minutes of flame. It'll turn the old gunk into white ash, which is a lot better on your grill brush.
ReplyWhat a bunch of whimps!! All your do is turn your grill on high and scrape with a wire brush. Once heated, wipe with paper towel coated with vegetable oil. This is grilling, not some ice cream social. And remember real men grill in the winter, there is no off season!
Reply...spoken like a true Marine!
That's how my husband does it and he says anything left after that adds good flavor!
Love your comment!
Actually the idea of just turning a grill on and cooking sounds whimpy to me seems much cooler and fun to light up the charcoals ..
My kind of griller!!!!
Try orange-glo it works great.
ReplyI use my billiion ants that come out of the woods and they clean the entire grill in about 1 day
ReplyIts always a good idea to check the burner for a nice blue flame if its to high and yellow you have got problems. First check the burner for rust damage and holes on top or bottom the check the supply lines attached to the burner on bottom of grill you will see the line enter the knob assembly ,where they meet there is a screen end piece at the tubing end. Blow this out with compressed air as spiders love to nest in this area, if all checks out you should have a nice hot blue flame again.
ReplyA high or medium-low yellow/orange flame is normal. Just having a blue flame means its either REALLY low, or your about to run out of gas.
oh my words throw it out and buy a new one !
ReplyI use furnature polish like Pledge for my stainless Weber / Makes it look new every time removes grime and finger prints . just spray and wipe down and put it away
ReplyAnyone own one of those Duo grills from Charbroil? They sell for around $280....both charcoal and gas capabilities. Any good?
ReplySTOP THE PRESS ! THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN A GRILL IS EASYOFF! APPLY IT LET IT SIT FOR 10 TO 15 MIN AND HOSE OFF WITH A GARDEN HOSE AND VOALA!!!! READY TO GRILL ! THE FOOD TASTE GREAT EVERY TIME! ALWAYS BRUSH DOWN THE GRILL AFTER EVERY USE.
ReplyI totally agree w/ya, PMchuck! been cleaning my grill like that for 15 years...works everytime!
Hold the Presses! The best way to clean the grill is to use Easy-Off. The best way to start the grill (lighter fluid if charcoal) and a short match and lots of gas (if gas grill). That way you'll be blown sky high if you don't know what you're doing. if you do know what you're doing, you'll just have nasty food and worst case, your grill will be eaten up (not to mention your hands) with the caustic mess. Simplify your life: order take out!!!!
iS IT OKAY TO RINSE THE GRILL OUT WITH THE HOSE AFTER EACH USE
ReplyWhen you say pour a cup of ammonia in a dark plastic bag? you mean just pour it in the bag, of leave it in the cup.....sounds kind of strange, wont the ammonia go thru the bag????
Reply