# Cleaning your grill precautions



## Raine (Jul 27, 2005)

Folks, please be careful and be safe!

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=0e060c7e-0921-4fd4-90ce-cb3457ce535d


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## msalper (Jul 27, 2005)

Uhhh... It can be painful...  
Thanks, Raine!!!.


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## CharlieD (Jul 27, 2005)

Okay I couldn’t bring my self to read pass first two paragraphs, but can I bring in an off-topic, it is about cleaning grills. 

  The other day I was at my friends’ house, he recently bought a beautiful gas grill, and so we were invited for BBQ. So he tells me that sales person told him never to scrub the grill with those brushes, and maybe just spray a bit of oil when starting to grill, but not to clean the old grease at all, it’s better for the flavor, he said. Huh? Am I missing something? Should we then stop doing dishes all together?


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## Raine (Jul 27, 2005)

Exactly what I say Charlie, when folks say they never clean their grill because that is where the flavor is.

Need flavor, we'll sell you a 5 gallon bucket of it


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## PA Baker (Jul 27, 2005)

I stopped using those metal brushes for just that reason.  Luckily I saw the bristles stuck to the grill and no one ingested them.

I DO clean my grill.  I can't stand the smell when someone turns on a grill that has never been cleaned!    I've found the easiest way is to bring the grate inside and cover it with wet paper towels.  I let them sit on the grate for about 15 minutes to soften up all the gunk and it's then easy to clean with a Scotch-brite type sponge.  Seems to work for us!


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## megg (Jul 27, 2005)

*Clean the Grill*

Here's an idea on cleaning the grids on BBQ grills...

Once your food is cooked, removed, and carried to where it will be eaten (and the gas is turned off if it's a gas grill) take a few extra seconds to remove the grids to a large tin bucket and spray them with oven cleaner.  Let them sit while you enjoy your meal.  When you're done with your meal, come back out and spray them clean with the garden hose.  At this time they should be cool enough that any stuck on food can be safely scrubbed off with a standard stiff bristled household scrub brush.  Once clean, pick them up, spray rinse them with the hose and put them back on the grill to dry.  If you want, you can give them a quick drying off with paper towels and a light spritzing with cooking spray before reinstalling.


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## Andy M. (Jul 28, 2005)

If you crank up the grill and incinerate the residue on the grates, then you can brush off the ashes and hard dry burned residue easily with no risk of leaving bristles behind in the gunk. The gunk has all burned off.


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## Michael in FtW (Jul 29, 2005)

I'm following Andy's line of thinking - the problem is probably technique. 

I can see where this "might" happen if someone only gets the grill warm (the baked on grease just gets semi-soft and can act like a glue to hold broken bristles from an old brush that probably should have been retired several years ago) then the meat is slapped on before the residue can burn off. 

If I read the story correctly - the brush _was_ several years old. I buy a new one every year or two ... depends on how much I use it. And, I don't leave it hanging out all year to deteriorate ... 

I know you're on the circuit Raine - how do you clean your grills???


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## thumpershere2 (Jul 29, 2005)

We clean ours the same way, high heat. And thats a Weber. the hot coals burn everything off.


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## GB (Jul 29, 2005)

I am with Andy and Michael on this as well. After I am done cooking I crank up the heat to high (if it is not already there) and let it go for about 5 minutes or more. Everything burns to a crisp. I then take my brush to it and everything just comes right off.

I buy a new brush once or twice a season. I buy a cheapo brush. I don't usually spend more than $2 on them. They may not be cool looking and stainless steel or anything like that, but they get the job done and I don't have to feel bad about trashing then when needed.


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## Paint (Jul 29, 2005)

Well, I used to use an industrial vapor-steam cleaner to clean my BBQ, but so many people went on at me for being too fussy....so now I use the 'burn it to an ash & brush it off' method.  After reading this article though, I may just go back to my old method!

Paint.


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## Raine (Jul 29, 2005)

We use a weed burner to heat up the grate and loosen the gunk. Then use a steel grill brush to scrap the gunk, then wipe it off with paper towels to get any particles. Every other cleaning, it get sprayed with oven cleaner and hosed off, then the grates are oiled down to prevent rust.


Some people just don't pay attention. Just like some people should never operate a gas grill or turkey fryer.


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## licia (Jul 29, 2005)

We burn then brush ours also, BUT, if it ever does get gunky, I spray oven cleaner on the grates and put them in a large garbage bag - leave for a while and the stuff washes right off. The gunk and bag is tossed in the garbage.


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## Dorse (Jul 29, 2005)

I'm new to this forum, but have lurked for a few times.  This is an interesting topic that prompts me to wonder how professional kitchens clean their high octane ranges.  I work at a university with several dining halls and kitchens.  Once a year we get the word that there will be a steam cleaning of facilities.  Is this how it's done? Can you clean your grill grates (after being removed) with one of those small steam cleaners?


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## GB (Jul 29, 2005)

Welcome to the site Dorse  
My guess (and it is just a guess) is that those small steam machines do not produce enough steam to really do the job.


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## BBQ Fish (Jul 29, 2005)

I do the burning method as well, and never used a wire brush on my grill. 

If you follow the directions, usually the manufacturer lists a preferred method of grate seasoning to prevent the use of a wire brush.


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## bettyslp (Jul 29, 2005)

*Raine,*
*Thanks for* *sharing 'Cleaning* *your grill precautions' news article and all the good ideas posted after. I have shared the information with many of my friends and family.*

*Betty*
*from Maine*


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## Paint (Jul 29, 2005)

Dorse said:
			
		

> I'm new to this forum, but have lurked for a few times. This is an interesting topic that prompts me to wonder how professional kitchens clean their high octane ranges. I work at a university with several dining halls and kitchens. Once a year we get the word that there will be a steam cleaning of facilities. Is this how it's done? Can you clean your grill grates (after being removed) with one of those small steam cleaners?



There is a big difference between the small steam cleaners and a proper 'Vapor' cleaner....which is what commercial kitchens use.  The small steam cleaners use wet steam, which is usually not under any pressure - it's just like the steam you get from your kettle, but forced through a small hole so that it blasts out, because the steam is not under pressure it doesn't get much above boiling temperature, and it produces very wet steam that condenses easily and drenches the surface you are cleaning.  Vapor cleaners on the other hand use steam under pressure (about 5 bars), which superheats the steam to germ-killing temperatures and produces 'dry' steam - i.e. it will not condense and soak surfaces with water very much.  You can get quality residential vapor cleaners for around $400 upwards, which are very good.  Commercial vapor cleaners are more expensive.  

In Europe, residential vapor cleaners are a popular method of cleaning your house - you get germ-killing power without the use of harmful chemicals.  I used a 'Polti' vapor cleaner for many years back in England, and now have a continuous fill commercial model over here.  I use it for deep cleaning carpets, cabinets, floors, bathrooms, windows, my oven, grill, electrical items that you can't wash easily, killing dust-mites in the furniture, bedding & carpets and anything else that could do with a good deep clean and sanitizing.  For more info - look up 'vapor cleaners' on the internet 

Paint.


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