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Grilling season is just around the corner, and it’s time to get your gear ready for the next season of backyard picnics, burgers, and grills. Before you start planning your grilling, the first step is to clear the entire grill of the remnants of last summer’s culinary adventures. Even if you wipe down your grill before you put it away for the winter, it should be done at the beginning of each new season.
Here’s why: The same grilling techniques that make those delicious charred marks on hamburgers and steaks perfect for Instagram also create carbon deposits on almost every surface of the grill, including the grate, hood, firebox interior, seasoning sticks, and burner tubes. (on a gas grill).
These crusty carbon deposits aren’t just ugly: grease and sweet sauces can stick to them and breed bacteria. Excessive carbon build-up can result in uneven grill heating, incomplete operating temperature, and premature failure of gas burner tubes.
In general, to make your grill easier to clean, you should clean it quickly after every use. Follow these simple steps all summer long: Use a wire brush to clean your grill grates after every meal, and be sure to remove any loose wire brush bristles before starting the grill. If you grill frequently, thoroughly clean the grate at least once a week and every two months. Twice a grilling season, clean your grill thoroughly to ensure it cooks better and lasts longer.
Incidentally, the basic cleaning procedure described here is basically the same as that of a gas or charcoal grill; a charcoal grill has fewer parts.
You’ll find dozens of grill cleaning tools, gadgets, and gadgets online or at your local hardware store, but nothing beats a long-handled wire brush, a wire bottle brush, a five-gallon bucket, and a little elbow grease. Do not use chemicals to clean your grill, as they can cause food to smell bad. Instead, all you need is some warm water, a degreasing dishwashing detergent like Dawn, and a thick paste of cleaning vinegar and baking soda.
If your grill’s exterior is made of stainless steel, a specialty stainless steel cleaner can make it sparkle. You’ll also need a pair of long-sleeved rubber gloves, some disposable cleaning sponges, and some cotton wipes. When cleaning stainless steel, wait for an overcast day, as under the hot sun it is difficult to remove stains from stainless steel surfaces. In addition, it is more pleasant to work in cool weather.