From time to time on this blog we share a range of tips related to home maintenance. As both homeowners and housesitters we have to deal with cleaning a BBQ on a regular basis. A gas grill can be intimidating if you are not used to the structure. Here are some top tips.

Easy Ways for Cleaning a BBQ Gas Grill

When a gas grill becomes dirty, not only will it work inefficiently, but it will also begin to emit a foul odour. Leave grease and remnants of old food inside and it will eventually smell like something crawled inside and died. Many people use a gas grill year after year and never bother to clean anything other than the rack. To keep a gas grill working properly for years to come, it is important to regularly clean it from top to bottom. Use these easy ways to clean a gas grill. With proper care it will last longer than a single year.

Use a Putty Knife to Clean Away the Old Grease

Remove the gas grill rack and the flame tamer to reveal an ugly surprise. If the gas grill has not been cleaned for months it will contain a mixture of black grease and hardened debris. Use a narrow putty knife to clean away the mess. Scoop it out and properly dispose of it in the trash. Wipe out the rest with paper towels, and use a small stick to reopen the drainage holes. Also, be sure to clean off the flame tamer that sits over the burner. Use a small wire brush to gently brush off the hardened debris. The inside of the gas grill does not have to be perfectly clean. After assembling the parts, turn it on high to burn away anything left behind.

An Easy Way to Clean the Rack

Most of the time a gas grill brush is the only tool necessary to clean a gas BBQ rack, but it should be completely cleaned at least once a year to prevent hardened build-up. Place the gas BBQ rack in a plastic bag, and spray it with oven cleaner or household ammonia. Allow it to work overnight. Hose it off and wash it with warm soapy water the following day. It is not necessary to buy a new rack. It will come out looking as good as new.

How to Clean the Briquettes

The briquettes in the bottom of a gas grill help to evenly distribute the heat while improving efficiency, but the briquettes also need to be cleaned no matter what they are made of. There are well-designed 4-burner gas grills nowadays that prevent the briquettes from easily getting dirty, but you still have to clean them after some time. Turn the briquettes over and set the gas grill on high. Allow it to burn off the excess grease and remnants of food for ten to fifteen minutes. The briquettes will also turn out looking as good as new, and they should last as long as the gas grill.

Don’t Forget the Grease Catcher

A grease catcher that has been ignored will most definitely smell bad, and if the holes of the grill were not plugged, it might even be full. Do not ignore the grease catcher. Be sure to empty and clean or replace the can before it fills up. This is also an important step in keeping the gas grill clean and odor-free all summer long.