Summer is here and the sun is finally out, so bring on the barbecues! You’ve probably been sat in the garden or out walking the dog and been meet with that intoxicating wave of BBQ aromas wafting over the neighbour’s fence. Well if that isn’t enough to inspire you to fire up your own barbecue, we don’t know what is!
First things first, before you can get grilling you need to delve into the depths of your garden shed to retrieve your trusty barbecue. We all know that barbecues come in all shapes and sizes, but whether you own a gas grill, charcoal grill, electric grill or portable grill, they all have one thing in common – they all need a good clean every now and then!
It can seem like quite a daunting task when it comes to cleaning the barbecue, but we are here to ease your worries and provide the knowledge and motivation to get cleaning and grilling.
After spending the winter tucked away in the shed, your barbecue will be crying out for a good deep clean; after all, no one wants to find a stray cobweb lurking inside their hot dog. You also want to make cleaning up after the barbecue as painless as possible, so you still have time to enjoy a glass of wine or in the evening sun.
Firstly, you need to make sure you give the barbecue enough time to cool down so you don’t burn yourself. This usually takes around 30 minutes after it has been switched off or the flames have died out. Check to see if it’s still hot by holding your hand about 10cm away from the grate to see if you can sense any heat.
It’s best to start off by cleaning the cooking grates. Remove the grates from the barbecue and spray with a cleaning mix to degrease. You can either buy a cleaning product or make your own to save some money. To make your own, simply mix together either washing up liquid and water or lemon juice, vinegar and water together in a spray bottle and store in the cleaning cupboard. Spray your cleaning product on the grate and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Then, using a barbecue brush get scrubbing to remove any food remnants and grease. Rinse off with water and leave to dry.
The next step is to tackle the appliance itself! Depending on the type of barbecue you have, the cleaning process will differ slightly. The most challenging appliance is the charcoal barbecue so this is what we are going to focus on.
Ensure the charcoals are cool before you begin, then remove them. Scoop out all of the remaining ash and dust into a bag (make sure there are no holes in the bag before you start). Your homemade barbecue cleaning spray is going to come in handy again here! Once the barbecue has been cleared of all charcoal and ash, spray around inside the base and sides with the BBQ cleaning product. Then, using a sponge and brush give it a thorough clean. Once you are confident you have removed all grease and burnt on food, it’s time to rinse it down with water. Leave it to dry off and then replace the grates you cleaned earlier.
Once everything has dried off, cover the barbecue and restore in the shed until the next sunny afternoon!
