There’s nothing better than a delicious BBQ on a beautiful summer day. Gathering the family and friends around to relax in the warm weather is one of our favourite things to do.
Cleaning up afterwards though is one job we don’t relish. All that grease and fat from the meat can be tricky to tackle and dispose of, so we’ve created this handy list of cleaning hacks to make life a little bit easier (and to make sure you have more time to enjoy the sunshine!). Here’s how to clean a BBQ:
This will make it easier to dislodge bits of food and grease before they harden. Keep a small brush handy to remove bigger pieces of food to save time at the end.
Unless your BBQ is huge, the hotplates should fit nicely into the dishwasher. Set it to a pot wash cycle and they should come out as new. Again try to clean them whilst warm to get best results.
Scrape fats, oils and grease that have cooled into a container or newspaper before binning them. Keep a ‘fat trap’ or container in the kitchen to collect waste fats, oils and grease. Many water companies will provide you with a free fat trap. Mix cooking oil with absorbent material such as cat litter or coffee grounds, and then throw it away in the bin.
Here are some other top tips for how to keep on top of it in the future
- Give your BBQ a thorough clean each year – a spring clean if you like! Make sure you check the manual before you take anything apart and always check the gas bottle is disconnected before you start.
- Take care when cleaning the internal parts to avoid damage – food skewers can be useful when trying to reach hard-to-reach areas.
- Use warm soapy water to clean the outside and don’t use an abrasive cloth or scrubber to avoid scratches.
- When you’re finished cleaning make sure you heat the BBQ for at least 15 minutes. This will ensure any residual cleaning agents are burnt off and won’t compromise food taste when next used for cooking.
TOP TIP!
- Avoid using a pressure washer, it can force grease and debris into the burners which can affect the gas flow and overall function of your BBQ.