It doesn’t matter if it is the first time you are using a gas grill or you are a BBQ pit master, keeping your grill clean is a very important step which directly impacts the performance and the lifespan of your unit.
Maintaining your grill after each grilling session will cut down the time needed to clean it but even if you haven’t cleaned it for a while, a little effort will get it to look like new again.
We put together a full guide on How to Clean the Interior of your Gas Grill, with step by step process and a couple of tips to have in mind.
Let’s dig in!
Table of Contents
Cleaning the Interior of Your Gas Grill
Turn Off the Gas Supply
First, before starting with the cleaning process of the interior, you should make sure that the Gas supply is turned off. You don’t want any dangerous gasses to be released during the cleaning which can lead to injury.
Locate the propane tank for LP grills or the hose for the LNG type grills and turn the knob clockwise in order to shut off the gas supply which goes into the grill.
Remove the Grates
Next, after you are sure that the gas supply is turned off, you should start with the disassembly process.
Remove the cooking grates and put them on a bucket filled with soapy water. Using a wire brush, scrub away any grimy and grease which is present on the grates. Make sure your water is filled with a teaspoon of soap for every quart, which should make the job easier.
Remove the Burner's Protective Plates - Heat Deflectors
Next, you should remove the metal plates which are used to protect your burners from drippings and help disperse the heat evenly.
You can clean those plates with soapy water and a sponge by scrubbing them gently until the drippings will start to melt and removed.
Clean the Burners
On gas grills, it is a bit tricky to clean the burners. The only thing you can do is to check the holes of the burners for clogs and use a toothpick to remove any residues which may be blocking the flow of the gas.
There are some grill models which have removable burners. In that case, it is easy to clean them. If your model doesn’t have removable burners, you can only wipe them clean while they are in place.
Clean the Grill Bottom
Now, start cleaning the bottom side of your grill, under the burners.
If your grill has a non-removable bottom pan, then you only use a metal spatula or scraper to push any debris through the grease hole. If the bottom pan is removable, then it is much easier to just take it away and scrape all the debris outside.
Once the big chunks are gone, you can scrub the bottom with a sponge and some soapy water to remove the remaining grease. You have to be careful in this area to clean it well since corrosion and rust are very common around this part of the grill.
Clean the Lid
Check both sides of the lid for debris or food remaining. It is very common for food to be found around this area, especially if you cook at high temperatures.
Use a scraper to gently remove any debris if found and wipe it clean with some soapy water. Just be careful to not scrape the metal and the protective paint layer.
Put it Back Together
Now, grab all the parts and start putting it back together just like they were before.
Test the Grill
After you put together all the parts, test the grill if it works correctly. Don’t forget to open the gas supply which you turned off at the beginning.
Also, at this step, is also recommended to turn on the gas, fire up the grill on high settings and leave it working for 15-20 minutes.
Don’t forget to close the lid and wait for any remaining soap or water to evaporate and burn off the surface of the grill.
Season the Grill and Leave it Ready
After the burn off process is completed, turn off the burners and get ready to season the grates.
This is very easy to do process and only requires you to lightly coat the grates with oil which will prevent your food from sticking to the surface next time you grill.
Get a paper towel and drip it in canola oil. Using some tongs, rub the oily paper on the surface of the hot grates, by slightly covering them up.
Stop after you are sure that all the surface of the grate is oiled and ready to go.
Final Thoughts
Cleaning the interior of your gas grill can be a complicated and lengthy process for many.
But once you get used to steps involved, you will not have any problem and the whole cleaning process should get you only a few minutes of your time.
To make this process easier, here are a couple of frequently asked questions from online communities:
FAQs
Can you use oven cleaner on a gas grill?
Yes, you can use an oven cleaner for your gas grill even though it is recommended to only be used on the interior parts such as grates or protective metals for burners, where grease is usually developed.
Using it on the exterior can damage the enamel finish or any protective layer sprayed from the manufacturer.
Do you soak the grates completely in soapy water?
Yes, it is completely safe to soak the grates completely into the soapy water. Leaving them on water for a few minutes will make the debris and grease softer and easier to clean.
How often should you clean your gas grill’s interior?
There is no exact rule on how often you should clean your grill because it totally depends on how often do you use your gas grill and what kind of foods do you cook on it.
When grilling on direct heat and over high temperatures, more fat and grease will be produced, making the grill dirty and ready to be cleaned more often than usual.
Thanks for sharing a wonderful information.
Very informative and effective.
Loved it..!!
Stay Blessed