Easily Cleaning Your Barbecue

Both stoves and grills are hot surfaces that are used to cook food. Stovetops are usually cleaned after each use—but sometimes grills don't get cleaned very often. Keeping your barbecue clean can help it to last longer as well as improve the quality of the taste of your food.

Treat your barbecue as you would your stove. Most of the time you cook with it, you only need to lightly clean it. However, every once in awhile you need to take it apart and give it a more thorough cleaning. The one part of your grill that needs to be cleaned every time is the grate. If the grate is dirty, it will be harder to cook with and the food will stick to it. It's best to clean it soon after you use the grill, while it is still warm. It's much easier to clean it while it's warm then right before you use it the next time. Just use a stiff wire brush to scrub off the food particles. When you are ready to grill the next time, heat it up and scrub it again. Coat it with a thin layer of oil.

The rest of the way that you clean the barbecue depends on the kind of barbecue you have. If you have a charcoal grill, you will need to frequently clean the collector pan beneath the grill. This catches the ashes from the charcoal. If you don't empty it enough, it will create excess smoke and change the flavor of the food. About once a year, you need to clean deeper. Take apart the grill and clean it with soapy water.

If you have a gas grill, you should regularly lift off the grate and clean the barriers above the burners. Many gas grills have "clean" settings, but they don't thoroughly clean your entire grill. About once a year, you need to take the parts of your grill apart to clean each piece. Look at your manufacturer's instruction to see if it gives suggestions on the best way to clean the parts. When you are cleaning, make sure that there is nothing blocking the path of the gas. Clean the pieces with soap and warm water.

The more frequently you clean your barbecue, the easier it is to clean because there is less build up. Keeping your barbecue clean will help you to show off your barbecuing skills when you are cooking your steak, hamburgers, or hot dogs.