Important tips for preparing your gas grill this summer and keeping it as good as new!
Summer is here and Grill Masters out there are in full swing of the nightly barbeque festivities! However, as you continue cooking up those backyard feasts, have you looked to see how clean your grill is and what condition those grates are that hold those delicacies? You wouldn’t cook in a dirty kitchen, so why would you grill on a dirty BBQ? Just like our homes are in need of a good deep cleaning after the winter, your grill does as well in order to keep it safe, long-lasting, and healthy for your cooking.
Here are a few general tips for preparing your gas grill this summer:
1.
Inspect all hoses and feed tubes -
Always visually inspect all hoses and feed tubes on your grill. Look for any crimps, excessive wear, animal chew marks, scratching or punctures, if you detect any of these, it is time to replace the hoses.
2.
Do a complete leak test of the grill -
A leak test should be performed any time your grill has been in storage for a prolonged length of time or when you are changing any components on your grill. Leak test fluid can be found at any hardware store, or you can make your own with a cup of water and a few drops of dish soap. Simply coat all connections with the fluid, turn on the gas and look for bubbles forming. No bubbling is what you want.
3. Make sure you have the right cleaning supplies -
In order to sanitize and deep clean your grill, you will need the following products: a brass wire brush, small pail to hold hot water, dish soap, putty knife, stainless steel cleaner, a roll of paper towels, and some fine sandpaper.
4.
Know what parts need cleaning -
Start with the grates. Using the wire brush, thoroughly clean the top of the grate removing all burned on food particles, use the putty knife for anything that doesn’t remove easily with the brush. Turn over and repeat on the bottom of the grates. Remove the grates and set aside. Next brush/scrape the flame tamers (also called flavorizer bars or radiants), and remove and set aside. Now the burners should be clearly visible. Very gently brush any loose debris off the burners. Once the burners are cleaned, check all of the burner ports to ensure that they are opened. If some are closed with food particles you can use a small drill bit or straightened paper clip to open them. Cooking grates and flame tamers should be washed with hot soapy water and rinsed. Hot soapy water and a sponge works wonders to remove grease splatters on the inside and outside of the grill. Lastly, remove the drip pan and give it a good washing. Replace the drip pan, flame tamers and grates.
5.
Check all ignition parts -
Now that your grill is clean and safe it is time to check out how it lights. For battery ignitions, it is a good idea to replace the batteries with new ones yearly. Check all electrode leads and ensure the tips of the electrodes are clean and have no grease or rust build up on them. If they do you can use sandpaper to clean them.
6.
Exterior Care
– clean the exterior with a mild surface cleaner, and polish with a good stainless cleaner.
7.
Know who to call!
- Although a necessary part of care and maintenance, grill cleaning can be tough, intricate, and dirty work, especially if repairs are needed. If you need help, or simply want to let the experts take care of the cleaning and maintenance,
Sea Island Grill Restoration
is happy to help. Jason Miller, founder of the local grill cleaning and restoration business, is an authorized technician with The BBQ Cleaner System™ and a parts dealer with TEC, American Outdoor Grills and Firemagic. They are experienced with just about any grill out there! They can be reached at 843-694-1525 or grillrestoration@live.com.
Have a fabulous, safe, and healthy grilling season this summer!
