Now that BBQ season is here you are probably wondering how to clean it?
There’s a high chance that you may have had too many drinks at your last garden party and postponed cleaning the BBQ and left it full of grease and grime.
The easy bit is throwing away ashes from the base but it’s getting the grill clean that is the real challenge.
First tip is to always clean it as soon as you have finished cooking, you will find that the grease and grim will remove so much easier but with a garden full of guest this is not always easy.
I have put together some of my top tips to help clean your BBQ up quickly, lucky for you hopefully you will already have some of these items in your kitchen cupboards including onions.
Onion
If you have some onion left over then pop onto your BBQ folk and whilst the BBQ is still hot rub over the racks, onions have antiseptic properties so make good cleaners and will cut through the dirt and grease. Keep rubbing until the onion starts to disintegrate.
Grass
Lay the racks on grass and leave overnight, the dewy moist ground will help clean them up, in the morning just give them a quick wipe over. The grass will need to be long enough to cover the racks.
Steam
Steam clean it, add a sheet of newspaper to the BBQ whilst it is still quite hot but not red hot, spray with water then put the lid down and let it steam clean.
BBQ brick
Use a BBQ cleaning brick, the brick can remove burned food or residual grease, and can be used on the surface of the high temperature grill.
Pressure washer
If you are lucky enough to own a pressure washer you can use it too effortlessly clean the racks. First stand it away from anything you don’t want to splash (the middle of the lawn is perfect; Then simply turn your pressure washer on a medium setting, and wash downwards, not up, to avoid making a mess.
Plastic tub
Soak the grills in a large plastic tub over night in some warm soapy water with a splash of white vinegar, if you don’t have a tub, you can use your bath but line the bottom with old towels, so you don’t scratch the bath.
Dishwasher
If the racks fit, pop in your dishwasher.
White vinegar
Spray liberally with white vinegar and leave a few hours before scrapping off the grim with a soft brush
Lemons
The bigger your lemons, the better. Slice the lemons in half and dip them into salt. Heat up your BBQ, and then rub and squeeze your lemon halves all over the hot charcoal grill. This will give you abrasive action from the salt, and cleaning and antibacterial action from the lemon.
Beer
In the unlikely event that you have a stray bottle of beer hanging around, pour this over the grills and leave on for 15 minutes let the beer work scrub with a brush or some old newspaper.
Bicarbonate of soda
Sprinkle bicarb over the grill, spray with water and leave to do its magic.
Remember…
Protect your barbecue and keep it clean until you need to take it out again. Invest in a simple weather-resistant BBQ cover. This BASIC cover should do the trick.
