Barbecuing is so much fun in summer and winter! The key is cleaning your BBQ, inside and out, to extend its life, even if you store it for six months of the year.
Duration : 1-2 hours
Level of difficulty : Beginner
How to give your barbecue a deep clean
1. Clean the cooking grates
Scrub barbecue grates with a good cleaning brush. Use a coarse wire brush to remove as much caked-on food as possible.
Then, remove them from the barbecue so they are easier to clean with a heavy-duty sponge or stiff bristle brush. Use a degreasing and descaling product and a bucket of water to thoroughly remove all the burnt food stuck to the barbecue grates during the summer.
It may also be necessary to soak the cooking grates in a large container of water with baking soda and white vinegar or a solution of hot water and dishwashing liquid. Remove any remaining bits with the same stiff bristle brush, dry the grates and put them back in place.
2. Check the charcoal
If you use a charcoal barbecue, check to see if the briquettes need to be replaced and if there is any food debris at the bottom. If necessary, empty the bowl completely and fill it with new charcoal briquettes next year.
3. Clean cooking accessories and tools
If the barbecue has a rotisserie attachment, remove it and give it a thorough cleaning.
If the barbecue has extensions such as a side burner, clean them thoroughly with an appropriate product. It's important to use a product that removes stubborn stains and grease build-up.
4. Clean the outside of the barbecue
Once all the cooking components are cleaned, take care to shine preparation surfaces, especially the side shelves.
Then, wipe down the legs of the barbecue with a microfibre cloth and a product specific to the material they are made of. Or go for an eco-friendly alternative—a homemade water and white vinegar solution.
5. Clean the barbecue lid
Clean the inside of the lid thoroughly with a soft-bristle brush to remove all liquid and food splatters.
Scour the outside of the lid with a product specifically designed to clean the type of material it’s made of (e.g., stainless steel cleaner).
6. Cover and store the barbecue
If you have a gas barbecue, disconnect and remove the propane tank, ensuring the valve is closed correctly. And to get the next barbecue season off to a good start, make sure to fill the tank before the warm weather arrives!
Cover the barbecue and/or store it inside with the propane tank.
Now you have a sparkly clean barbecue ready to go when the warm weather returns! Discover other maintenance tasks to do before winter, plan your regular barbecue maintenance, set up a reminder to fill your propane tank before next summer and much more by downloading the EspaceProprio app on App Store or Play Store.
Photo : Getty Images/wakila
