All that cooking outdoors during summer does, unfortunately, leave you with a bit of a chore to do as September arrives; namely, cleaning your barbecue. Don’t despair – it’s not a difficult task. Read on to discover two main ways to clean your barbecue grill, and what tools you can use to help.
You can clean the grill on your charcoal or gas barbecue in one of two main ways, or you could combine both if you like. The first way is by hand, while the second uses heat to do most of the hard work for you.
Cleaning by hand
If you can, it is best to clean your barbecue by hand to ensure you remove as much grease and grime as possible. Begin by scraping off the bulk of any food residue. You can use a special tool for this, such as the scraper blade on the Landmann 3 in 1 grill brush. Using a tool not only makes the job easier, it also protects your hands from the heat. A tool that’s specifically designed for barbecue use will also prevent damage to the cooking surface and avoid removing its non-stick coating. Wearing gardening gloves is also a wise idea.
When the grill has cooled down enough for you to touch it, you can use a product like Landmann’s barbecue cleaning wipes to clean it. The 3 in 1 brush may also come in useful here, as it has brush and sponge surfaces as well as the scraping blade. You can dip the brush into hot, soapy water to help speed up the process. Once it’s clean, rinse away any suds and dry immediately with kitchen roll to prevent rusting. If you want to, you can apply some vegetable oil to the grill, using another piece of kitchen roll, to create a protective film that will help guard against corrosives and rusting.
Cleaning with heat
If all else fails – burn it off. Even food safety experts acknowledge that using a high heat to burn off food residue will kill any bacteria that is present, so even if it doesn’t look squeaky clean, your food will be safe to eat. It’s easy to neglect the barbecue once you’re enjoying great food, good company and a few drinks, so try to get into the habit of turning that grill up high once you’ve finished cooking – or before you start. Which is best depends on the type of grill you have.
For a gas barbecue, turn the burners up to their maximum heat setting after cooking, and leave to work for at least 15 minutes. If your barbecue uses charcoal, the best time to turn up the heat is when you next light the barbecue. If there is any charred residue, scrape this from the grill using a long-handled tool as before, while wearing gloves, so there’s no risk of burns. Half a cut onion can also be rubbed onto the cooking surface, and this can help to remove any stubborn remains of burnt-on food.
As you can see, the key to a clean, safe barbecue is little and often, as well as having just the right kit.
