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Cooking out is one of the great pleasures of summer—that is, as long as your grill doesn’t burst into flames when all the gunk you forgot to clean out of it catches on fire. Yes, this can actually happen. “Most of us just grill, turn it off and walk away, but over time food residue builds up and can cause unexpected, dangerous flare-ups,” saysEatingWellmagazine’s food editor Jim Romanoff.
On a less dramatic note, it’s not very healthy to eat the charred bits that can be stuck to food that’s been cooked on a dirty grill. “For safety and grill longevity, regular maintenance is a must,” says Romanoff. In other words, you’re gonna want to clean your grill. You should be cleaning your grill every time you cook on it, as well as giving it a deeper clean every few months and a super-deep clean twice a year. Read on for our general guide for most grills, and also check your owner’s manual for manufacturer-specific tips.
Best Tools for Cleaning Your Grill
Grill brush or scraper
Metal spatula or putty knife
You’ll also need a metal spatula or putty knife to scrape residue off the grill box. No need to buy a fancy grill-specific tool for this—you can simply pick up a putty knife at your local hardware store or get something like thisstainless-steel scraper ($6 from Amazon).
Nonabrasive sponge and dish soap
When it’s time to deep clean your grill, you’ll want a nonabrasive sponge and regular dish soap. TheseScotch-Brite sponges ($6.60 for 9 from Amazon)or these plant-basedScotch-Brite Greener Clean sponges ($2.74 for 3 from Amazon)are good choices for sponges. For the dish liquid, I recommend an unscented dish soap likeSeventh Generation’s Free & Clear ($3.25 from Thrive with membership).
How to Clean Your Grill
After each use
“Manufacturers recommend letting the grill cool completely before cleaning, but because it takes less elbow grease, I carefully clean the grates while they are still warm,” says Romanoff. Use a long-handled wire grill brush to clean your grill grates immediately after use.
Once the grill is cool, remove and empty the small grease tray under the grill. “Built-up drippings can be a recipe for an unruly grease fire,” Romanoff warns. For good measure, you should also brush your grill off again after preheating it for your next BBQ. Then oil it using folded paper towels saturated in oil before cooking. (See moregrilling tips.)
Every few months
Your grill needs a deeper cleaning every couple of months. Here are Romanoff’s instructions: “Remove the grates and triangular metal protectors that sit directly over the burners. Scrape any residue with a metal spatula or putty knife. Then use a grill brush (or even a paper clip) to clean the tiny holes in each burner tube. Scrape the sides and bottom of the grill box with the spatula or putty knife and push the debris through the hole leading to the drip pan. (Cool grill scrapings can be composted or thrown away.)”
Twice a year
Got cooking questions? Email them to us attestkitchen@eatingwell.com.
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