Clean Your Gas Grill Like a Pro With These 9 Tips

Grilling season is here, and it’s time to break out the grill and start enjoying the warmer weather. To ensure the best-tasting food, you need to give your gas grill a good cleaning. Often, people don’t clean their grills as thoroughly as they should. The nine tips outlined below will keep your grill in tip-top shape, providing your family and guests with delicious food every time it’s used.  

1. Preheat the Gas Grill

Caked-on residue can be hard to remove with cleaning supplies. However, it’s easy to burn off. By firing up your grill and letting it run for 10-15 minutes before you start the cleaning process, you’ll get a head start on removing some of that residue by converting it to ash. 

2. Safety First

A pre-heated grill will be hot. That sounds obvious, but you mustn’t jump right into cleaning the grill after burning the residue off. Instead, let the grill cool down. While it’s cooling, gather gloves and eye protection so the harsh cleaners and flying debris don’t injure you. 

3. Turn Off the Gas

Although technically still a part of the ‘safety first’ tip, this one deserves its own mention. If you have a gas grill, make sure the gas is turned off. There should also be no danger of a spark from the cleaning process causing a fire. 

4. Soak the Grill Grates

If the cooking grates are especially dirty, preheating the grill might not have removed enough of the residue that’s built up. To make it easier to clean grates that are heavily soiled, remove the grates from the grill and soak them in warm soapy water for 10 to 15 minutes. 

5. Scrub the Grill Grates

The grates on your grill are tough. They can take a heavier cleaning than simply using a rag. Get a good wire brush and put some elbow grease into the cleaning process. This will give you a much better clean than simply wiping them down with a soft cloth would. 

6. Clean the Burners

The burners on gas grills are often overlooked, but keeping them clean is an important part of having a well-functioning grill. Use a soft brush to remove any debris from the burners. A toothpick or paperclip can also be used to remove any clogs that may prevent gas flow. 

7. Wipe Down the Exterior

Use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe down the exterior of the grill, including the lid, control knobs, and side tables. Aside from the side tables, this tip may seem as though it’s for appearance only, but neglected control knobs can get sticky and harder to operate.

8. Empty the Grease Tray / Ash Catcher

Beneath the grates of a gas or charcoal grill lies the grease tray or ash catcher, respectively. Most people will remember to clean this as the deep cleaning they do to get the grill ready for the season, but making them a regular part of the cleaning routine can make that job easier.

9. Store Your Grill Properly

On the surface, this isn’t a cleaning tip at all. Nevertheless, it’s a critical part of the cleaning process. A grill that’s left out in the elements without a cover to protect it is going to get exposed to more dirt and debris and require more frequent cleaning than a properly stored one will. Clarks Ace Hardware has all the tools and supplies you need to keep your grill in perfect cooking condition. If you don’t have one, shop for your new grill in Columbia and Ellicott City today by visiting our lawn & garden department or at clarkshardware.com.