Having a gas grill screams convenience, especially during grilling season. Aside from preparing grilled food, you could also cook stews on pots in its cast iron grates.

However, we must admit that grilling has nagging consequences. It is hard to keep your grill grates clean especially with stuck on food, or worse, caked on grease.

There sure are different ways how to clean your grill grates and remove the remaining residue of leftover food through deep cleaning. In this article, we’ll explore them and make your grill grates sparkling clean!

Best ways on how to clean grill grates

Most of the time, the solutions for the worst grease build up on cooking tools lie within our kitchen cabinets.

Simple kitchen staples such as vinegar, dish soap, and baking soda are some of the few ingredients you can use to completely make your grill like new. Other tools required are brushes, wiping cloth or towel, and a vacuum too! Here are some instructions to do them:

Burn it off

Step 1: When cleaning the grill, start by opening the lid.
Step 2: Wait a minimum of 30 minutes before extreme temperature sings out stuck foods or grease.
Step 3: Next, put wire brushes under warm soapy water to remove carbon from grates. The gas will go off before releasing and removing propane tanks.
Step 4: Let it cool. The charcoal grill can be dumped into plastic containers by placing old charcoal in.
Step 5: Afterward, remove the charcoal residue by using putty knives. If it appears like the briquettes have been cold and dead, put them in a water bucket.

Wash and Wipe

Fill a bowl with dirty water with clean water and sprinkle some dish soap on top. Use the sponge to remove the grill’s exterior. Avoid scrubbing steel wool on finished surfaces.

The exterior of the grill is cleaned by removing all excess water from the grill and drying it with a cloth, paper towel of soft micro fiber towel.

Use a Vacuum

When grill crumbs and flavoring bars are removed, the interior can easily be retracted. Start by storing a small bucket in front of the firebox under the grease tray to remove the soapy and dirty water that has been left.

Use a plastic scrubbing knife to scrape off caked-on ashes. Use a wet or dry vacuum for removing all the loose debris. After the fire boxes have been inspected thoroughly, rinse them with a garden hose.

Cleaning with a wire brush

This technique is most effective if you do it right after you’ve finished grilling and the grate is still hot. Scrape both the top and bottom sides of each grate with a brush before they cool.

You can also soak the brush in water to create steam, which will loosen the grease. This will not only cut down on cleaning time, but will also keep insects away from your grill.

After scraping, you may need to wipe off your grate with a towel, depending on your grate.

Soak the grill grates in vinegar and water

After you’ve finished cooking on your grill, you’ll want to clean it up. When the grill is still warm, but not hot, now is the time to do it.

Combine white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. To get the optimum results, use a ratio of 60 percent vinegar to 40 percent water. Wait a few minutes after spraying this liberally over the surfaces to be cleaned.

Soak the grill grates in dish soap and water

After the grill has cooled, remove all the grates and soak them in a warm, soapy water tub. Allow for at least 30 minutes of soak time. Burner control knobs, warming racks, and grease pans are among the elements that can be simply removed from the grill.

The burner tubes on most gas grills may also be removed; look for a single screw or cotter pin on one end of each tube. When you’ve stripped the grill down like this, cleaning it will be much easier.

Note: Avoid boiling cast-iron surfaces or adding warm water. It increases rust. The procedure is most suitable for porcelain and steel grates.

Soak the grates in a trash bag with ammonia

Note: Ammonia fume helps to destroy grease. Avoid completely submerging the grates in ammonia. The use of such an enormous amount of ammonia can cause strong smells and may cause serious health problems.

Baking Soda and Scour Sponge Grate Cleaning

A filthy grill with stuck-on food necessitates a thorough cleaning. Combine two cups of vinegar and one cup of baking soda in a garbage bag. Place the grill grates in the rubbish bag after removing them from the grill.

Soak the grates in water overnight. Spray the grates with water and pat them dry after removing them. Remove any remaining stuck-on food with a towel or a nylon grill brush.

Here are other tips to remember when cleaning grill grates – whether they are stainless steel grates, cast iron grill grates, or porcelain.

How to clean bbq grill grates – Quick Tips

There are different types of grill grates – iron grill grates, cast iron grates, stainless steel grates, porcelain grates. And automatically, all of these require different methods of cleaning.

Cleaning Steel Grill Grates

Stainless steel grill grates can reach temperatures as high as 800 Fahrenheit – a higher temperature for an outdoor grill. In contrast, stainless steel is rust-resistant. Cleaning the grates can easily be achieved by brushing.

Cleaning Iron Grates

Clean cast iron grates by scorching any food accumulated on them. Allow the grates to cool before cleaning them with the nylon cleaning brush. Dry and soak the grates with vegetable oil, canola oil, or or extra virgin olive oil after cleaning to prevent rust from forming.

Dealing with Porcelain grates

Cleaning porcelain grill grate with metal or wire brushes are not recommended. Use a nylon brush or a grill brush with soft bristles. Any food that has stuck to the grates should be burned. Allow the grates to cool before using the nylon cleaning brush to clean them.

Use nylon or long handle brush to remove baked food and grease

You can then rub the grill surface on the grill to remove the residue from the grill later. Besides removing it from your grill you can put it in your grill without vacuuming. Use nylon grill brush again to keep grill cool.

Heat your grill to medium or high heat for about 10 minutes

If you use the grill brush, it will be more effective on hot points. It loosens the food and makes cleanup easy. There will be less elbow grease required. Use a nylon brush on the grill when hot.

FAQ

How do I clean grill grates?

Grease, oils, and marinades are smothered mostly on the grill. After a while, their acid turns to a bitter smell that makes their foods very unfavorable.

Clean the grates using natural kitchen staples or have a good cleaning agent in hand. You can also use a good Detail Brush, Microfiber Cloth from the Crown Choice or a Grill Brush to make your cleaning a lot easier.

Whether you’re a seasoned grill master or a novice to outdoor cooking, all grillers should know how to properly clean grill grates. Dirty grills aren’t just dangerous to your health; they also alter the flavor of your food and lengthen the time it takes to cook!

We hope you’ve read the suggested methods for removing even the toughest filth to avoid carcinogens. Don’t forget to read up on how to get your grill ready for grilling season.