Proper Outdoor Grill Maintenance

For first time grill owners there are a few tips about cleaning your grill that everyone should know that can keep your grill running for years longer than normally possible. You should think of your outdoor grill as an investment rather than just something you use for entertainment purposes or just cooking food. If you take care of your grill it can work for you for years to come rather than just a few months.

The first tip that probably seems like common sense to most people is that you need to clean your outdoor grill after every use. If you leave it messy after use than not only do you make it harder on yourself the next time you go to grill anything, it also decreases the life of your grill and can cause it to rust.

You will need a few common household items if you want to clean your grill properly. We will start with a bottle of mild dish detergent. Pretty much any will do. You will also need some cooking spray (oil will also work), a special grill brush for cleaning the actual grill plates and/or some wool or steel pads used for cleaning. Now that you’ve gathered the required materials its time to get to the cleaning process.

The first place you should start cleaning is the actual grill plates that you place your food on. These usually have the most buildup of food and grime. You should be able to just remove and separately clean them. Once you get the plates clean you should move onto the burners if you have a gas grill. Also make sure to get any preparation surfaces if your outdoor grill has them.

The last step you need to take in order to have a properly maintained grill is to oil the grill plates. You can do this with everyday cooking spray or plain oil. It doesn’t matter either way but it is important that you grease it up some way so that you can keep it from rusting. It is also a good way to keep your food from sticking the next time you go to grill any food.

And thats all there is to proper grill maintenance. If you just follow the steps listed above you will have your grill for years to come. Treating your grill as an investment is the best thing that you can do for your outdoor grilling entertainment.