How to Clean Your BBQ Grill

Summer is a great season. You get to go out for long walks in the sun, you get to go to the beach or spend some time with your friends and family in the backyard, playing games and eating hamburgers straight from the barbecue. It's definitely the best season of all. But sooner or later it ends, and it's time to prepare everything for the fast approaching winter. Definitely one of the most difficult to prepare and clean things in your home is the barbecue. This is why I've created this small guide to help you clean your BBQ grill, so it can be ready for the next summer.

Prepare for cleaning. The most important thing you need to know about BBQ cleaning, is that it's easier to clean it when it's still warm. The first step you need to perform is to disconnect the grill from the gas or propane tank. After that you need to disassemble the barbecue itself – you need to remove the grates and the metal plates under them. After you do it, you can proceed to the cleaning.

Soak. The next very important step you need to do is to get a bucket of warm water and some liquid soap. Pour some of the soap inside the bucket and stir. After the cleaning solution is done, you need to soak the grates and the metal plates in it. The soap will soften some of the food particles and the grease, and it will be a lot easier to clean the parts afterwards.

Prepare the solution. For the main part of the barbecue you will need a stronger cleaning solution than just soap. If you want to clean your BBQ naturally, you can always use a solution of baking soda and vinegar. The baking soda will dissolve all the grease, and the white vinegar has very strong disinfecting qualities. With this solution you can get rid of practically every stain.

Scrub. After the solution is ready, you can pour it over the main part of the barbecue and wait for a few hours for it to work. After the time is up, you should find yourself a sponge with a rough surface or one of those made from wire. Then spray the surface with the cleaning solution again, and start scrubbing, to help those stubborn food particles to get off the grill. Also, remember to clean absolutely every square inch of your grill, including the hard to reach places. It's important to maintain everything in the best possible condition, because the longer the grease stays there, the harder it will be to clean it. After you're done with the main part of the barbecue, it's time to scrub the grates and the plates too. You can get them out of the soapy water, spray them with the vinegar and baking soda solution, and scrub it a little with the sponge too. After the hours spent in the water, it should be a lot easier to clean these parts of the BBQ.

Reassemble. The last step you need to do, is to reassemble the barbecue and store it for the winter. But before that, you'll have to leave it for a few hours under the sun, so it can dry perfectly before it's stored. After that just put everything in its place, pack it into a bag and put it in the basement or attic. Just make sure the bag doesn't let any air inside it. This way when you unpack the BBQ the next summer, it will be perfectly clean and ready for use.