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Cleaning and maintenance tips for your BBQ

BBQs are great additions for the sunnier months in the garden. Like with any cooking appliance, it is important to keep them clean and maintained. Before any cleaning is carried out, ensure you check for specific guidance for your model in your user manual. In this article we have highlighted our tips for cleaning and maintaining your BBQ. 

Soak grill gates (and burner covers)

It may be tempting to use harsh cleaning tools and abrasives to remove hard dirt from grill gates, and burner covers, but you can avoid this if needed. Try soaking the grill gates in a container of hot water and dish soap. This will help to slowly remove and break down the dirt without the use of excessive force and prolong the life of the parts. 

Get your grills shining with lemon

You may be aware that lemon can be useful for cleaning hacks in the home. To clean your BBQ with lemons, try heating up the BBQ, slicing a lemon in half and squeezing it over the grill. The citric acid from the lemons can help to break down debris and its antibacterial properties can help to clean it. A benefit of using lemons is that they can leave the grills with a shiny finish. 

 

Make a bicarbonate soda paste to clean the grills

You can also use a bicarbonate soda paste to clean the grills. Try mixing a solution of 3 parts bicarbonate soda and 1 part water. Use this solution to coat the grill section and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before wiping clean with a cloth. This is an easy method to remove debris and get the grill gleaming. 

Vacuum loose debris from inside the unit

If there is debris left inside the BBQ, you can quickly remove this by using a vacuum cleaner. We recommend using an old vacuum cleaner if possible as food debris and charcoal debris may stain the filters. This shouldn’t be used to do all the cleaning, but is an easy solution for loose debris. 

 

Wash away stubborn dirt with a pressure washer

For cleaning charcoal BBQs, you can remove stubborn dirt by using a garden pressure washer. Keep the BBQ secure, and use a light setting on your pressure washer to clean away the dirt. You can aim the washer in the desired area to effectively clean. This saves the time and effort of manually washing this area by hand.  

 

Wipe down the grill dials

As part of the cleaning of the BBQ, we recommend wiping down the dials as the dials are necessary for the operation of the unit. If dirt or debris builds up, the dials may be difficult to operate. You can wipe these down using a soft cloth and warm water to remove the dirt. 

 

Protect the BBQ with a cover

Like most appliances, BBQs are not resistant to the elements. If they get excessively wet, this can result in the metal rusting. To prevent this, put a cover over the BBQ to protect it from weather. Alongside using a cover, the BBQ should be stored appropriately when not needed, such as in a shed or a garage. 

 

To summarise…

There are many ways to effectively clean and maintain your BBQ to keep it performing well. If you’re ever unsure, check your user manual or contact the relevant support team for more information. You can browse our full range of BBQs here.

For more of our articles on the garden & outdoors, visit here.