How to Clean a BBQ Grill: A Step-by-Step Guide

Pull the cover off the barbie after a few weeks and you already know what's waiting: grates caked in old grease and char. It's the job nobody wants, but a clean grill cooks more evenly, stops last month's dinner flavouring tonight's, and helps your BBQ last longer. The good news is that a proper clean takes about ten minutes if you do it the right way.

What you'll need

• A BBQ cleaner brush or scraper suited to your grates
• Heat-resistant gloves
• A damp cloth or paper towel
• Cooking oil and tongs
• Warm soapy water for the drip tray

Step 1: Warm the grill up

Cold grease is stubborn. Light the BBQ and let it run on high with the lid down for five to ten minutes. The heat loosens baked-on residue and burns off a lot of it, which makes everything after this easier. Then turn the burners down or off so the grates are warm rather than scorching.

Step 2: Brush the grates

Work along the bars of the grate, not across them, so the brush gets down between the rods. Go over each section until you can see clean metal. If you're using a hand brush this is where the elbow grease comes in. A powered BBQ cleaner like the PowerScrub electric grill brush does the scrubbing for you: switch it on and guide it along the grates.

Step 3: Wipe down

Once the grates are brushed, wipe them with a damp cloth held in tongs. This picks up loosened carbon and any stray bristles. Whatever brush you use, always check the grates before you cook and replace a brush that's shedding or worn.

Step 4: Empty the drip tray

Grease that collects under the grill is the most common cause of flare-ups. Once the BBQ has cooled, slide the tray out, scrape it and wash it in warm soapy water.

Step 5: Oil the grates

Dip a folded paper towel in a little cooking oil and wipe it over the clean grates with tongs. A light coat helps stop food sticking and protects bare steel and cast iron from rust between cooks.

How often should you clean your BBQ?

• After every cook: a quick brush while the grates are still warm. It takes a minute and saves you the big job later.
• Every month or so: empty the drip tray and wipe down the inside of the lid.
• Once or twice a year: a full clean, including burners and the firebox, following your BBQ maker's instructions.

Things to avoid

• Harsh oven cleaners on the grates. They can leave residue where your food sits. Heat and a good brush do the job.
• Cleaning a cold, greasy grill. You'll work twice as hard for half the result.
• Ignoring coated grates. If yours are enamel or porcelain coated, check the manufacturer's advice on which brushes are safe to use.

The short version

Heat it, brush it, wipe it, oil it. Do the quick version after every cook and the big clean never gets a chance to build up. If scrubbing is the part you dread, have a look at our BBQ cleaners.