How To Clean Your Gas Grill

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by Chef Jason from 5280 Culinary

Amazing cooking starts with quality products and a clean grill. Watch our video as we show you how to clean your grill from top to bottom and keep it running like new. Then be sure to tune in to our Annual Maintenance video, where we show you how to check everything from nuts and bolts to the igniter.

Quick Tips

  • Remember that how frequently you clean your grill depends on how frequently you use your grill. The more you use it, the more often you will want to follow the steps below to keep your grill in great condition.
  • Make sure your grill is turned off before you do any cleaning or maintenance.
  • Use a 6 in 1 Paint Tool. You can use this for scraping the grill, getting in nooks and crannies. It's a game changer when it comes to cleaning your grill

Cleaning Top to Bottom

The reason to clean the grill from top to bottom  is to get crumbs into the bottom of the grill and into the drip tray for easier clean up. Follow these steps to make cleaning quick and easy.
  1. Thermometer
    • Check the thermometer to make sure it is not loose and the wing nut is tight
  2. Grill Lid
    • Check the inside of the lid by wiping it with your hand
    • Make sure there are no big chunks or BBQ crumbs
    • You don't need to clean these back to brand new
  3. Warming Rack
    • Scrape the grate and fold it out of the way
    • Make sure to get the top, bottom and sides
  4. Sear Grates
    • Clean the sear grates with a grill brush
    • You can flip them over and get the back side cleaned as well, to make sure you get any extra crumbs you might not see
    • Take off the grates to get to the flavorizer bars
  5. Flavorizer Bars
    • Rust on flavorizer bars is normal, but you will want to scrape off any chunks or crumbs
    • You can do this with the all in one paint tool
    • Check each one out individually, to see if there is any excessive wear and tear
  6. Burner Tubes
    • Once the flavorizer bars are off, clean the burner tubes with the brush
    • Go along very easily, do not try to scrape or scour
    • Wipe down with a cloth
  7. Heat Deflectors
    • Make sure they are free from rust, debris or damage
    • Use the paint tool to scrape them off, and get into the nooks
    • Continue this process to all of the heat deflectors
  8. Grill Cook Box
    • Check to make sure there is no damage or cracks
    • Use the paint tool to scrape the walls and get in the edges
    • Slide out the drip tray and clean it out
  9. Drip Tray
    • Use the paint tool to gently remove BBQ crumbs
    • After scraping, go over it with a cloth to get the rest of the crumbs
  10. Grill Cabinet
    • Spray with degreaser and let sit for 3-4 minutes then wipe it off
    • Put the drip tray back in
  11. Outside of Grill
    • Spray the lid and outside surfaces with all purpose cleaner or other cleaners of your choice, for the kind of material on your grill
    • Wipe down the grill with a cloth or paper towel
  12. Rebuild the grill bottom up and protect it with a grill cover, to make cleaning in the future even easier.
For more helpful tips, visit Ace Hardware's Tips & Advice 
Published: 7/16/2020