How to clean a BBQ - an early start is half the battle
Despite the fact that we often have to wait for a while for beautiful and stable weather, it’s good to start in time with getting your BBQ summer-ready – this means: a complete check-up of your appliance. Cleaning your BBQ on the inside, cleaning your BBQ grill, checking the gas bottle & connection and cleaning your BBQ on the outside. A common mistake is taking your barbecue out of storage only on the day you want to use it again for the first time. It’s recommended to fully clean your BBQ and test it at least a few days in advance!
Tip 1 - Cleaning your BBQ on the inside
Even if your appliance underwent a mandatory cleaning before winter season, it’s important to thoroughly check the inside before you start barbecuing again. It’s often the case that mould can develop inside due to the humidity during the cold winter months. And let a mouldy barbecue preparation be the last thing you want on your plate. There’s also a risk that insects or vermin have crept inside. In case of mould formation or unwanted animals, we therefore recommend cleaning your BBQ thoroughly on the inside with a microfibre cloth, lukewarm/hot water and some mild detergent. Then it’s important to rinse everything thoroughly and dry it carefully.
With a gas barbecue, you should also always check the burners and the venturi tubes. Even there, there’s a risk that spiders or other insects have made webs/nests. This creates the risk of blocking the gas supply to the burners. Remove the burners from the appliance as indicated in the manual and clean them thoroughly with a Barbecook cleaning brush. Also clean the venturi tubes. This is best done with a long flexible brush. Once done, put everything back as it should be. It’s also crucial to check and clean the grease trays. The grease trays of Barbecook are dishwasher safe.
With a charcoal barbecue, make sure the bowl and chimney are clean and the base or ashtray is completely emptied. So get rid of all the ashes and unburned charcoal!
Tip 2 - Clean your BBQ grill
The next step during the check-up of your barbecue is to clean your BBQ grill. Barbecook offers a lot of quality accessories to make this task a success. For example, you can choose a 3-in-1 brush, with which you can brush, scour and scrape, a two-headed grill brush or even an extra long spiral brush. And what about Barbecook's grill cleaner, a volcanic stone that has been used for years by professional chefs to remove dirt, grease and burnt-on food residues faster and more thoroughly. Moreover, after a while the stone takes on the shape of the grid.
It’s forbidden to use aggressive cleaning agents to clean your BBQ grill. Use a mild/pH-neutral cleaning agent. Afterwards, it’s important to rinse and dry the BBQ grid sufficiently.
Do you still find it difficult to remove the dirt from your grid? Then turn on your appliance for about 10 minutes with all burners on the highest setting. This way, the largest part of dirt will burn off from the barbecue grid. Afterwards, you can easily brush away the remaining dirt with one of Barbecook’s BBQ cleaners. Make sure, however, that you have first checked tip 3 (check gas bottle & connection).
If you work with cast-iron grids, rub them with some neutral oil such as sunflower or peanut oil after cleaning. This prevents rusting.
Tip 3 - Check the gas bottle and gas hose of your gas barbecue
If you have a gas barbecue, it’s important to connect your gas bottle to your appliance in the correct way. For this you need the correct gas regulator and hose. These tools ensure that the pressure on your gas bottle is reduced. The pressure in a gas bottle is namely often much higher than what a barbecue needs. Also be sure to check the date on your gas hose. Regular gas hoses have a life span of 5 to 10 years. However, winter weather conditions can also affect the material of your gas hose. So always check your gas hose for leaks, even if it hasn’t reached its expiry date yet. What is the best way to do this?
Make some soapy water.
- Once the full gas bottle is connected to the barbecue and all the knobs of your barbecue are on 'OFF', slowly open the gas bottle.
- Then moisten the connection and the hose lightly with the soap water.
- Do soap bubbles appear? Bad sign, gas is escaping! No soap bubbles? Then you’re safe!
Tip 4 - Cleaning your BBQ on the outside
Next: cleaning your BBQ on the outside. For this you can use a microfibre cloth, lukewarm/hot water and some mild detergent. If there are stubborn stains on the enamelled parts, you can possibly use an abrasive cleaning accessory. However, try to avoid this. After cleaning your BBQ on the outside, rinse it thoroughly. Finally, make sure your appliance is completely dry. This is important before you put the protective cover on it. Wetness can cause mould and that would be a waste of all your cleaning work!
Let's get the BBQ party started!
Now you know how to clean a BBQ, it’s time to get the BBQ party started! Also in this phase you should do some checks: do you have all the necessary tools and accessories to get ready for barbecue season?
- Check whether you still have enough charcoal/coconut briquettes and whether they are still usable (nothing worse than damp charcoal/briquettes).
- Do you have the right lighting accessories? Think of a charcoal starter, firelighters, matches, etc.
- Check whether you have the necessary basic accessories at home to turn your meat or vegetables. A spatula, tongs, a fork, you name it!
- Have you also thought about accessories to take your barbecue session to the next level? From pizza stones to a chicken holder and from a marinade injector to smoking accessories, Barbecook has it all!
- Cleaning your BBQ and cleaning your BBQ grid remain of course extremely important throughout the entire barbecue season. So make sure you always have enough cleaning accessories/BBQ cleaners at home.
Then all we can say is: enjoy the first barbecue of the year!
