7 Reasons You Should Always Clean Your Grill After Using 

The jovial hum of your BBQ has died down and you’re left looking around at littered plates and empty glasses. It’s time to clean up and no, the grill can’t wait until tomorrow. Discover seven reasons you should always clean your grill after using it!

7 Reasons You Should Always Clean Your Grill After Using

1. The Carcinogenic Risk

It is extremely important that the grill gets cleaned periodically as there are carcinogenic residues and you don’t want those transferred onto your cooked foods. You want to enjoy your meats perfectly grilled not burned. Not only does the taste change with a dirty grill, but it’s simply not good for your health to eat meat cooked on a dirty grill. Scraping it off after a BBQ isn’t good enough, either.

Granted, the carcinogenic risk is present no matter how clean your grill is. But when you clean it thoroughly after each use, you significantly reduce the risk of carcinogenic residue transfer. Aside from keeping your grill clean, you can also ensure you marinade your meat before cooking it and choose lean meats. Don’t overcook your meat or use processed meats on your grill. All of these efforts combined reduce the carcinogenic risk you face when grilling.

2. Make Your Grill Last Longer

In order to extend the life of a grill, you must always remove food pieces, oil, sauces, and whatever else is left on it. You don’t want corrosion to build up. Therefore, you have to clean it thoroughly. This ensures that you present well-cooked food to your guests with all the right flavors.

You spent a pretty penny on your grill and by cleaning it after each use, you’re ensuring that your investment is protected. Leaving a grill to acquire build-up of various ingredients reduces the life of the product overall. You’re not just affecting the area where you place the meat, but you’re also affecting the various components that make up your grill, including the gas tubes and burners.

3. Keep Tummies Healthy and Happy

Keeping up with regular cleaning of your grill gives you peace of mind knowing that you, your family, and your guests are safe and won’t get sick. Imagine being the source of illness for all who attend your backyard BBQ. It brings to question your sanitary practices, which is sure to severely limit the number of guests willing to accept your future invitations.

Instead of running the risk of making your guests or family sick, you get to enjoy everything that is grilled on your grill and feel proud after the event. Not only are you ensuring you serve delicious food, but a clean grill makes for a great impression. Your guests notice more than you think, and a sparkling grill gives them a sense of confidence and comfort in your grilling abilities.

4. Eliminate the Fire Hazard

Accumulated grease and food particles on the grill grates and in the drip tray are a fire hazard. A sudden fire can cause a disaster, not just for the person standing at the grill. Instead of running the risk of serious injury, take the time to clean your grill after each event. Dirty grills have flare-ups and while a severe accident is possible, what’s most likely with a dirty grill is the inability to cook food evenly. Severely corroded grills present a danger and should not be used.  

5. Prevent Infestations

Regular cleaning is not only a good hygiene practice but also prevents insect infestation. Insects like flies and ants love a dirty grill. They return to snack on the food particles and can quickly build up. You wouldn’t want to eat food that’s cooked on a fly-infested grill, and neither does anyone else you invite to your BBQ. Skip the embarrassment and keep your grill shiny.

6. Avoid Cross-Contamination

If you leave a grill uncleaned for months, mold and bacteria can form underneath the hood. This causes cross-contamination when you start cooking fresh meat. Even your veggies are at risk! A dirty environment is not a place for food. Food-borne illness is serious and results in abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Some people may develop additional symptoms, including fever, joint pain, and fatigue. Put simply, an unclean barbeque is never a good thing.

7. Save Yourself Some Money

When you don’t keep up with regular maintenance of your grill, you’re likely to have to pay for expensive repairs down the line. When you consider the potential expenses of keeping a dirty grill, you can appreciate a helpful motivator to get you out to the backyard and give it a good cleaning. When you keep your grill in its best condition, you don’t have to worry so much about replacing its different parts or calling a pro in for repair.

How to Clean Your Grill

After Each Use

You either have a gas grill or a charcoal grill. With a gas grill, turn up the heat after using it. Anything left behind gets nicely burnt, which loosens it and makes cleaning it easier. Then, turn it off, and don’t try to clean anything until it has completely cooled. Move in and scrape off the debris using a grill brush. Grab your vegetable oil, your tongs, and a rag. Use the tongs to rub the oily rag on your grates. And don’t just focus on your grates — make sure you tackle the grease trap too!

If you have a charcoal grill, first clear out the ash catcher. A handy bucket next to your grill is helpful so you never forget this step after hosting a BBQ. Then, take out your grill brush to tackle the grates. They can be warm while you complete this step. Again, like with a gas grill, take out your vegetable oil, tongs, and rag. Proceed by rubbing the oil-soaked rag on the grates. These steps after each use help preserve the life of your grill and make your deep cleans a lot easier. Your future self will thank you for being proactive!

Deep Cleaning

It is highly recommended that you deep clean your grill every three uses. If you use it weekly, it must get deep cleaned once a month but if you use it every two weeks, deep clean it every two months. Set a reminder on your phone so that you never have to deal with sad news about people getting sick after what was supposed to be a good time with good friends and good food.

As for cleaning, start safely. The grill must be cool to avoid burns. If you’re using a propane grill, make sure it is turned off before cleaning. If it is a charcoal grill, make sure the coals are completely extinguished. Once everything is completely cool, you can take off the grill grates and any removable parts. Dispose of any debris safely. Use a scraper or grill brush to remove food particles. Hold the brush or scraper firmly at an angle to remove stubborn debris.

Submerge the grates in soapy water for 15 minutes, then brush debris that was stuck. Use a wet cloth to wipe down the walls and ceiling of the grill. You can also invest in a degreaser solution to make your job easier, especially when working toward removing those persistent bits that are more difficult to remove. Once you’ve cleaned up all the removable parts and the grill itself, let everything sit to thoroughly dry. Try a soft, dry cloth to speed up the process. Then, you can move forward with reassembling it.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Viacheslav Nikolaenko/Shutterstock.com