Handy tips for cleaning the barbecue

With summer weather on the horizon, the dreaded annual task of cleaning the ever popular barbecue is upon us. Here are some handy tips for cleaning the barbecue for you to follow as suggested by the domestic house cleaning professionals, MOLLY MAID:

1. Clean Your BBQ Grill While Warm
   Crank up the barbecue (if using gas) or take the opportunity after a casual meal at home to complete the annual task of cleaning the BBQ. It is much easier to clean it when it is warm. Give the grill or hot plate a quick brush to remove the bigger pieces of food residue.
2. Use Steam
   Use an old aluminium pie tin, baking tray or disposable tin available in supermarkets, fill it with water and place over one of the burners, or the grill over the warm coals. If the coals are not giving off sufficient heat to boil the water, fill the tin with boiling water to begin with. In the case of gas, turn on just the one burner and only enough to make it slowly boil, and then close the lid. The steam will serve to loosen the food residue and grease making it much easier to remove, but please take care that steam can cause scalding.
3. Dishwasher
   Scrape or wire brush off all the excess grease and dirt. Soak the grills and hot plates in a solution of vinegar and water in the kitchen sink or a bucket to continue to loosen any residue, then place them in your dishwasher on a setting suitable for pots and pans and let the moisture and heat do the work for you!

   It is always a good idea to remember to spray your grills or plates with cooking oil and heat for about 15 minutes, after you re-install the parts, to re-season them.
4. Drip Tray Cleaning – Cat Litter
   First, line your BBQ drip tray with aluminium foil then fill it with cat litter. Second, when the cat litter becomes saturated with the fat and grease, just lift it out with the foil you used to line the drip tray.

   By keeping the drip tray clean you can help to prevent potential fires and can make food taste better.
5. Cleaning Lava Rocks
   If you have decided against replacing your old lava rocks which have become saturated with grease, then you could try cleaning them in a bucket of warm soapy water.
6. Cleaning the inside
   Before beginning this rather tedious task, please refer to the BBQ manual for guidance as each BBQ can be different and remember to disconnect the gas bottle if you have a gas BBQ.
   Use a stiff BBQ brush or a stainless steel paint scraper with a mixture of mild soapy water to clean the inside of the hood. Take care of painted surfaces.

   Burners should just be wiped clean, unless some of the small burner holes are clogged. If they are, carefully clean them out with a small metal point (paper clips can work well) and try to clear the blockage without pushing them inside the burner.
7. Cleaning the outside
   Stainless steel and painted surfaces should be cleaned with mild soap and warm water and no abrasive substances should be used. Using a stainless steel polish after cleaning can help to restore the shine.
8. Pre-heat
   It is important to turn your BBQ on and leave to heat for 15 minutes before starting to cook on it as this will burn off any residual dirt and kills germs on cooking surfaces.
   The above handy tips for cleaning the barbecue are designed to save you time and effort when undertaking this otherwise grubby task!

Good Luck!

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