Tips to clean the dreaded BBQ before Summer

With Summer just around the corner in the UK,  it’s time to dust off that BBQ and get ready for the few days of sunshine we’ll have. And you want to be ready,  right?   Why spend the few precious days of sun scrubbing the BBQ when you should be cooking up a feast. 

Now is a great time to start scrubbing,  and it’s sure to make the food taste better.  We’ve bought together some of the best tips from across the web to make it easier to clean the BBQ.

Burn off the excess
Firstly, you need to burn off all the excess rock-like-meat which has stuck to the grills. The best way is to turn the grills upside down and put the BBQ on a very high heat.  Leave them burning for a good 20-30 minutes and all the big rocks of meat will flame away.

Cool down
Ensure that the BBQ has cooled down considerably as you don’t want to be paying a visit to A&E. When it has cooled, use warm soapy water to clean away the grease, but make sure you do so by using a non-abrasive material. A more abrasive one will scratch the surface and leave it more vulnerable to the rust

Remove the rust
The best thing to use is wire wool, which can be found in most reputable DIY stores such as B&Q or Wickes. When you’re done, give the grill a wipe down with a damp cloth to get rid of any rust residue and soap and there you go, it should be sparkling and ready for use.

Use a BBQ cleaning liquid
This doesn’t need to be anything fancy.  A bottle of Antibacterial surface spray will do the job nicely. Not only will it remove the remaining grease, but it also protects against killer bugs such as Salmonella and E-Coli.

Finally, get some BBQ liners
These 3mm aluminium foil grill sheets are supposed to keep your cooking grate clean, while still letting you grill effectively. You’ll never need to clean again! You will need to oil these liners before you cook or foods will stick.  You can pick these up at CleanBBQ.

Alternatives

Use a steam cleaner
If you can afford it, it’s well worth the investment if you’re sick of scrubbing.  This will speed up the time taken to clean your barbecue after use and can be very affective indeed. 

Use a Drill and Wire Brush (extreme caution!)

Use Soda Crystals

Sources
oph-good-housekeeping.com