If you're anything like Ree Drummond and her family, you’re probably ecstatic that cookout season is finally here. As the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day weekend opens the door to months of backyard barbecues, encouraging you to gather all your loved ones, fire up the grill, and dig into a delicious spread featuring all your favorite BBQ dishes.
But before you plan an outdoor gathering filled with all the best grilled foods, you’ll need to tackle one dreaded chore: cleaning the grill. If you’ve left your grill to fend for itself for the past nine months, its grates will likely be littered with charred buildup, grimy grease stains, and other forgotten food residue. Aside from looking unsightly, soiled grates are unsanitary and unsafe: All that old, burned food can carry bacteria and cancer-causing carcinogens, ignite grease fires, and negatively affect the taste of your food. But once you restore its shiny appearance, you’ll zap the harmful buildup and improve your appliance’s heat control, which translates to safer and more delicious food.
If you’re met with a blackened mess after lifting the lid, you might not know where or how to start. Luckily, our simple, comprehensive guide is here to help. Ahead, you’ll find detailed instructions on how to clean your grill. We've compiled a list of tips to effectively rid your grill of built-up, burned-on food, no matter how long it's been stuck on there.
Gather Your Materials
First things first, to successfully clean your grill, you’ll need to gather all the right utensils. In addition to fetching two plastic bins to fit your grates and grease tray, plus a tarp to slide under your work station, you’ll need the following to actually scrub the grates: dish soap, rubber gloves, a grill brush, a scraping tool, stainless-steel wool, and rags. To go the extra mile, other optional materials are grill floss and grill grease spray.
Set Up Your Station
Once you have all the right tools on deck, lay a tarp (a cut-up trash bag also works) beneath your grill to protect the ground. Fill one of the plastic bins with warm, soapy water and the second with clean water. Place both bins on the grill’s prep shelf.
Heat Up the Grill
Before you start scrubbing, turn your grill on high with the lid closed for 10 or 15 minutes to burn off any leftover food particles. Let the grates cool down (but make sure they’re still warm) before scouring them clean.
Scrape the Grates
Wearing rubber gloves, use a grill brush to scrape the grates clean while they’re still warm. If you’re in a pinch, you can also use crumbled foil held with tongs. Scrape the remnants into the grill’s cookbox, and dump the grease tray.
Let Them Soak
Once the debris is almost gone, soak the grates in the tub of soapy water to soften the more stubborn pieces. Then, work on them with stainless-steel wool and a bristle brush. Once you’re done, dip them in the clean water and set them out to dry.
Scrub the Insides
Starting from the top and working your way down, scrub everything in the upper and lower cookbox and burner tubes with a bristle brush or steel wood, scraping the debris into the greasy tray. Once you’ve removed all the gunk, take a wet rag to sop up the loose bits. Finish it off by gently cleaning the igniters.
Work on the Grease Tray
Once you’ve finished cleaning the interior of the grill, scrape down the grease tray over the tarp, letting the remnants fall on the protective layer. For any pesky pieces that won’t budge, soak the tray in soapy water bin before scrubbing it clean and popping it into the clean water bin.
Tackle the Exterior
Now that the grills, plates, and other interior parts are clean, it’s time to move onto the exterior. With a clean rag and soapy water, focus on the cooking knobs and the lid until it sparkles.
Discard the Dirty Water
It’s time for the final cleanup! After dumping both water bins, tie up the trash bag and transfer it to a garbage bin—or, if you’re using a tarp, shake it out over the trash can. Now, you’re ready to host your cookout!
Lilly Blomquist is the associate editor at The Pioneer Woman, where she writes lifestyle stories across a wide range of topics—including news, entertainment, holidays, food, and more.
