How To Keep Your Grill in Brand New Condition

Nothing signifies a weekend well spent like a few friends standing around a burning grill, enjoying their drinks and waiting for their share from the next batch. Such occasions bring people together, and are a part of many cultures all over the world. Part of the fun is taking care of your grilling gear, and giving it the maintenance it requires for longevity. 

If you consider your grill an extension of your family, don’t worry, we aren’t judging you, much — you need to get up to pace on the latest methods to keep it all clean and shiny. Why are we writing about it? Getting comfortable with a new grill is tough. It takes time, you’ll likely burn your food in the beginning and so you want to make sure you spend as much time as you can maintaining your grill.

Preheat Your Grill

When you’re done preparing a meal, leave your grill on for at least 10-15 minutes. If you forget to do that, don’t worry. Just remember to preheat it the next time you cook on it and let it burn off the previous remains. A good rule of thumb is to give your grill 10-15 minutes to preheat.

Wipe off Any Spills Right Away

Nobody likes a spiller, but if you’re one, we’ve got you. It’s easy to spill sauces or oils on your grill, and it’s not entirely practical to clean them off right away either. The grill will be hot and you don’t want to spoil the meal. So, what do you do? You clean them off right after you’re done with the batch. If you don’t, your sweet sauces will only invite rodents and ants — and that’s a big NO-NO!

Scrub It After Use

You can’t go to bed without doing the dishes. That’s the rule. So, why be reckless when it comes to your grill? It will have burns and stains from the last session and it needs to be scrubbed right after. If you don’t, you’re just well on your way to making the stains permanent. 

Get a Good Grill Cover

Many folks tend to keep their grill in the garage. There’s nothing wrong with it until you’re just throwing it away in a corner, only to use it after months. If you do that, you’re only making it food for dust. So, what’s the plan of action here? You get a nice grill cover, preferably a parachute, and keep your grill locked up in it, in a ‘safe’ corner.

Clean the Grates

When you’re done grilling, don’t just scrub the outside. Make sure to disassemble your grill and clean off the grease, meat, veggie remains, bacteria and debris off your grates.

Clean the Burner Protectors

While it may not seem like much, burner protectors give away your attitude towards your grill. If they’re clean and shiny, it must mean that you value your grill. They can also be home to grease, debris and germs — please clean them.

Clean the Bottom Tray

Most people ignore the bottom part since it’s not in direct contact with your food and doesn’t impact the taste. It can, however, clog up your grill. Be smart, you don’t have to clean it every time but do it a few times every season.

Remember to Check for Leaks

If you’ve got a gas grill, make sure to check for leaks as a safety measure.

Keep It Away From Water

If you expose it to water and store it without properly drying it, you’d only be inviting rust.

Summing It Up — Grill Cleaning Tools

We suggest investing in proper grill cleaning tools and even if you don’t have all of them, do get your hands on a grill brush. Get bristle brushes that are made out of stainless steel, nylon, brass or natural materials. Stainless steel brushes will help you in thorough cleaning and scrubbing off the greasy stains on the grates, tray and outer side of your grill.