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Summer is on its way and that means splashing in the pool, working on outdoor home improvement projects, and firing up the grill for a tasty summer dinner.
Is your grill not quite ready for all that? Here are some simple steps for cleaning, and why it’s important to do so.
Start with a Deep Clean
For charcoal grills, first, empty them out and give the grate a good scrub. Then, clean the inside and outside of the grill with warm, soapy water. A wire brush works well for stuck-on messes in the inside, but use a towel on the outside to avoid scratches.
For gas grills, disconnect the gas before cleaning. Next, give the grate a good scrub with your wire brush, then soap and water. Then, you can tackle the barrier above the burners and replace any lava rocks or ceramic briquettes. Finally, clean the inside with your soap and water, then rinse.
Keep It Clean Through the Summer
After every use, give your grill a few minutes to cool down, then follow these steps.
Scrub the grates with your wire brush. For cast–iron grates, rub a little cooking oil on them. For porcelain grates, you should not use a wire brush because this will scratch them up, damaging them, and leading to rust. Instead, use a towel.
Periodically, you should dump out the coals, clean the inside of your grill with the wire brush, and replace the coals.
Close It Up for Winter
Warm up the grill, then use your wire brush to start scraping away. Once you’ve got as much as you can, use warm soapy water to finish the job. Don’t forget about internal parts such as the drip pan, flame tamers, and warming racks.
For the exterior, use a sponge with a degreaser or soap and water to remove any leftover grease. Finish with a soapy towel and a rinse.
Finally, keep it safe through winter’s elements by placing a cover over top.
Why It’s Important
Properly cleaning your grill does more than just preserve the flavor of your food. It’s also a health and safety standard you should want to maintain.
Without proper cleaning, you could miss certain maintenance tasks that keep your grill in proper working order. You might forget about the burners, hoses, and gas lines if you’re not routinely taking the time to clean your grill. You should also take a look at the drip pan so it doesn’t overflow and cause a fire hazard.
Bacteria can form in those overlooked areas such as below the burners. This can lead to mold when the grill sits out in the warm summer heat 24/7. Mold loves grease so grills are a prime suspect when they go uncleaned for too long.
Get Ready to Grill Up Some Summer Fun!
We hope this has inspired you to begin your spring cleaning! We’ll leave the outdoor chores to you, but we can certainly help inside your home! Give The Maids a call to help you tackle windows and blinds, floors, furniture, and much more!
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