Cleaning Your Grill

You've just finished dishing up some great barbeque and now you want to sit down and enjoy some for yourself. Well, go ahead, but don't forget that when it comes time to pack things up and go back inside, you need to take care of your grill first.

Before cleaning it, allow your grill to cool until it is at a manageable temperature; just warm enough that you can touch it with your bare hands. You won't want to let your grill cool completely because it is easier to get food and grease off when it is still warm.

After every grilling adventure you should clean your grate. This grate comes into direct contact with your food. If it is not clean, your food won't be sanitary. The best tool for grate cleaning is a wire brush. These usually come in barbeque tool sets. Brush off all the extra food and rub the grate down with oil. You will also want to regularly check the state of the metal to make sure that there is no rust or residue that you don't want getting into your food.

It may be necessary to periodically clean out your grill with soap and water. Use the stiff brush to scrub off all the cooked on junk.

How you proceed for deeper cleaning will depend on the type of grill you have. For charcoal grills, clean out the charcoal and ash after every use. For gas grills, or grills with reusable hot rocks, take time to clean the burners and rocks, removing oil and food that may have dropped onto them. The cleaning process keeps your grill sanitary, and it also provides the opportunity to check the functionality of your grill. While you are cleaning, check the gas connections for problematic blockages. For hot rocks, remove any you can't clean so they won't foul up the taste of your food. For charcoal, check the grill body for rust or holes that may need to be repaired.

Perhaps the best policy for any grill: Use often, clean often.