Around here, grilling has no off-season.
If you’re reading this post, more than likely you’re a grilling enthusiast. But are you a grill cleaning enthusiast? Probably not. However, even if you can’t stand the clean-up process, every grill master needs a clean grill to achieve beautiful grill marks. Cleaning your grill can also help avoid having your fresh caught fish or perfectly seared burger stick to the grates.
The outdoor kitchen experts at Synergy Outdoor Living offer easy tips for getting your grill in excellent grilling condition and keeping it that way. Keep reading for our grill maintenance tips…
Maintaining Your Specific Grill Type
Depending on what type of grill you have, additional steps to properly clean and maintain your grill may be required.
For example, if you have a gas grill, you should empty the drip pan after each use. If you have a charcoal grill, like a Big Green Egg or Primo, you’ll need to brush out the bricks and ash after it cools to prevent buildup from blocking the grill vents or causing a flare up.
How to Clean Your Gas Grill
In Florida, grilling has no off-season, so it is important to clean your grill after every use. Proper cleaning includes removing food remnants off the grates and cleaning the grill brush or scraper itself.
Fortunately, it is an easy process. Just follow these steps…
- Step 1: Heat the grill on high for at least 15 minutes to carbonize any food fragments.
- Step 2: While the grates are hot, scrape off all food remnants using a cleaning tool best suited for your grill (more on that below) and scrub from every angle.
- Step 3: Season the grates by “mopping” them with a paper towel soaked in canola oil. The grates will be hot, so use tongs! Seasoning the grates prevents food from sticking and rust from occurring.
If you’re like us, you love to grill and spend time enjoying your yard. As your one-stop destination for all your outdoor living needs, we know you want to protect your grill. In need of a grill refresh? Give us a call – 813-322-2137!
Best Cleaning Tools for Your Grill
Cleaning a grill the RIGHT way requires the RIGHT tools, and the type of grill you have determines what type of tools you need. When we install your custom outdoor kitchen, our team will talk you through the specifics for maintaining your new grill. But here are some grill cleaning tools any grill master will want to keep handy:
Wire Brush
A sturdy brush with a long handle is a must for cleaning grill grates, especially when the grates are hot (A pit mitt isn’t a bad idea either!). Invest in a bristle-free brush which are preferred for stainless steel grates on charcoal or gas grills, as well as porcelain and cast iron.
We recommend the Kona Bristle-Free BBQ Grill Brush.
Nylon Grill Brush
Because a nylon grill brush is gentler than a wire brush and won’t crack or scrape surfaces, it is a better option for ceramic, porcelain, and cast-iron grates. When using this type of cleaning tool, make sure the grates are cool to remove excess food and residue.
Synergy Outdoor Living recommends the Char-Broil Grill Cleaner.
Wood Scraper
A hardwood scraper is a durable, yet gentle option that cleans surfaces inside the grill while also scraping excess residue.
SOL recommends the Woody Nub Grill Scraper.
Tongs
To properly clean your grill, you may need to fish out pieces of food that fell in between the grates. When this happens, stainless steel tongs are best. Nylon tipped tongs won’t hold up in high heat, which is what most often applies for cleaning.
Our custom kitchen designers recommend OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs.
Specialized Grill Scrapers
For grills that haven’t been cleaned in a while and have a lot of excess residue, you may need more than just a grill brush. Enter specialized grill scrapers which are perfect for all grate sizes and wrap around the grates to remove all the residue.
SOL recommends not getting your grill in this condition in the first place, but if you do the Sage Owl Barbeque Grill Scraper can help clean it up.
Steam Cleaning Grill Brush
Go big or go home with a steam cleaning grill brush! The powerful jet of steam blasts grime and grease and you don’t even need to still have the grill hot or preheated!
Better yet, it’s eco-friendly, with zero chemicals or cleaning sprays required.
We recommend the Grilltastic Steam Cleaning BBQ Grill Brush.
Protect Your Grilling Investment
Our custom outdoor living designers want you to enjoy your new yard for a long time. This means regular grill maintenance and cleaning.
Synergy Outdoor Living can help! We offer a complete line of products and services to build and maintain the outdoor living area of your dreams. Call us today at 813-322-2137 for more information or to schedule a FREE design consultation in Tampa, Orlando, or Jacksonville.
