Grilling 101: Annual Cleaning

The 25th annual Weber Canadian GrillWatch™ Survey tells us Canadians are passionate about their grills – 84% of us grill at least once a week or more during the barbecue season. But shockingly, only 17% of Canadians know what is involved in cleaning their gas grill properly.

Unless you want one-time guests, don’t get caught serving up charcoal-stained burgers this summer. Experts from Weber Grills have weighed in and prepared an easy step-by-step guide to clean your gas barbeque and start your grilling season off right.

First what you will need:

• A stainless steel grill brush
• Fine steel wool pads
• Mild dish soap
• One-inch plastic putty knife

1.     Clear the burner tubes of any blockages

Check the manifolds or burner tubes for blockages. A blockage can be anything from debris to cobwebs. Clean the tubes by brushing the portholes with a stainless steel wire brush in an up and down motion. Do not brush lengthwise, as this will only move debris from one hole to another.

2.     Clean the heat distribution system

Some grills contain a “flavourizer” bar,  that is a bar to prevent flare-ups. To clean your flavourizer simply turn up your grill to high to burn of the residue. Occasionally you should brush the bars with a grill brush or scrape with a putty knife.

 3.     Clean the warming racks

To keep your warming racks from smoking, clean them with a soapy steel wool pad. Rub the racks gently and rinse thoroughly. Cleaning warming wrack will keep your food warmer longer.

 4.     Carefully scrape the inside of the grill with a putty knife

Use a putty knife to push residue to the bottom hole. Remove the tray under the grill and put the debris in the trash. Now use warm soapy water and a fine steel wool pad to clean. Also be sure to clean the catch pan and replace the liner monthly or as needed.

 5.     Clean grease drippings on exterior surfaces

Never use abrasive lemon-based cleaners or oven cleaners on your grill, as they can cause scratches. For stainless steal exteriors use an environmentally friendly stainless steal cleaner, and for porcelain enamel exteriors just use a cloth and warm soapy water.

This cleaning process should be performed once a year for seasonal grilling and more often for year-round grilling.

For an even easier cleaning, check out Weber’s line of premium, nontoxic cleaning products here.

As for regular maintenance be sure to clean your grill before each use, by turning the grill on high for 10 to 15 minutes and then brush off the debris with a stiff grill brush.

Happy grilling!

By: Michael Myers & Alexa Batitis