Doing some cook out on summer is the right way to spend it with family and friends. Sometimes you may face a problem about your grill that has not been cleaned for a period of time. Cleaning a charcoal grill will only require you less time, even though it has sat dormant for a while without being cleaned. A clean grill will make food taste better and healthier. It is so obvious that when you grill a lot, your grill will also get dirtier. It could even make it worse especially if you are using charcoal. This is because smoking in your grill can leave smoke residue all over the inside part of your grill. Let us then learn to clean a charcoal grill to our advantage.
Step #1: Remove the Grates and the Ash
To start with, remove the grates and other things from inside the grill and clean out the ash and remove old coals from the bottom. Prevent from catching out fire by making sure that the grill is cold and the embers are out. Use a small shovel or scoop to remove the ash and throw it away.
Step #2: Clean the Inside Part of the Grill
Use a thick rag, paper towels, or newspaper in cleaning the inside part of the grill. You can also use water or cleaning solution. Using a water hose is a good way to clean the inside of the grill and give it a good rinse. It is not important that you need to clean it thoroughly but cleaning it up will make it look better and will get rid of some of the grime. The grime inside can burn the food while you are cooking and negatively affect the taste of the food.
Step #3: Clean the Outer Part of the Grill
Wipe the outside part of the grill. You can use a wet rag to clean the dust and grease. Just be careful not to use anything that can make a scratch to the exterior part of the grill. Don’t use an abrasive cleaning method such as wire brush or baking soda on a painted grill because this can remove the paint of the grill.
Step #4: Clean the Grates
Put the grates of the grill on a newspaper and spray it with oven cleaner and let it sit for a few hours. This is the way on how you can remove the grime and dirt build–up on the grates. It could also reduce the amount of elbow grease. Clean the grates by scrubbing it off using a damp cloth or sponge. Rinse it with water and dry it off before placing it back inside the grill. To avoid food from sticking while you are cooking, use non-stick cooking spray on the grates before cooking to help the grates stay clean. To avoid serious fire, never spray it on an open fire. Do not throw old ash and charcoal in your garden because the chemicals in the charcoal can damage the plants.
Keep a good cleaning habit all throughout the grilling season to keep the grill from building up too much grime. Always wipe the grill after cooking, and remove the old ash and charcoal and use wire brush to clean the grates. Just make sure the charcoal grill is cool enough before cleaning.
