How to Clean Your BBQ Grill With Food Lion Grill Cleaning Products

How to Clean Your BBQ Grill With Food Lion Grill Cleaning Products

It doesn't matter if you prefer gas or charcoal; most home barbecuers love a clean grill. The more you grill, the more you'll need to make those grates shine. There's no need for special or costly products to glam up those grills to make them grease- and rust-free. You might have what you need in your pantry. While you're at Food Lion gathering your grilling essentials, also pick up these non-toxic ingredients and tools to get your grill in ship-shape for summer.

Making Your Gas Grill Season-Ready

Start off the grilling season right with this full-scale cleaning. You'll need the following every-day items from Food Lion:

• Stiff wire brush
• Bucket
• Gentle dish soap
• Microfiber cloth
• Spray cooking oil
• Paper towels

Put on your cleaning clothes, and get to work with this five-step season-prepping process. You'll have your grill up and running in no time. Then use other quick-cleaning methods to keep your grill cooking like a dream all season long.

• Step 1: Preheat your gas grill on high heat for 15 minutes to loosen up grease and food particles. Turn off the gas, and close the valve on the propane tank or gas line.
• Step 2: Keep the grates in place and scrub them down with soapy water and the stiff wire brush. This process creates steam, which helps clean the grill. When the grates have cooled down, take them out and wipe them down with a dampened microfiber cloth to remove soap and residue.
• Step 3: Clean the heat deflectors located over the burners and under the grates. Cleaning them reduces flame flare-ups from dripped grease. Remove the heat deflectors. Scrub them with the stiff wire brush and soapy water from the bucket. Dry them with paper towels.
• Step 4: Clean the burners to remove rust, food particles, and other debris. These can block the burner gas ports, which may cause uneven grilling. Use the wire brush to remove the blockages by brushing with short strokes across the burner holes, not lengthwise. Clean inside the valve with soapy water, rinsing inside with a hose to remove residue.
• Step 5: Finally, clean the bottom of the grill's cook box. It's a messy job, but you can do it with a brush, soap, and water. Remove the propane tank and put a bowl in place as a catchall for the gunk. Finish up by cleaning the underside of the lid. Rinse with a hose. Reinstall all the pieces, and you're done.

Once the grates are clean, lightly coat them with spray cooking oil or vegetable oil. Use a folded paper towel to spread the oil onto the grates. The oil reduces the amount of food that sticks on the grates during cooking.

The Fast Foil Ball Method

Maybe you've experimented with a few gooey grill recipes like Grilled Lemonade. Clean things up quickly with the foil ball method. This cleaning process works when the grill is warm or cold. Grab a sheet of aluminum foil (heavy-duty foil works best, but any will do), and form it into a ball. Scrub the grate bars with the foil ball to de-gunk them. Flip them over, and repeat. Take a damp cloth and wipe down the bars after you've cleaned them with the foil.

As a note, most experts agree that the method of putting a sheet of foil over the grate and heating the grill on high to remove gunk is dangerous and can easily damage the appliance.

The Onion Method

If you haven't heard about this intriguing green grill-cleaning method, read on. Put aside a large white or yellow onion that you've bought for your veggie grill. Cut the onion in half. Take one half and place it face down on a heated grate. Rub back and forth using a long grill fork. The onion's juices remove gunk and grime as the grill is burning off any other remaining particles. Double up on the cleaning power of an onion by first spraying lemon juice or white vinegar on the grates. All that acidic action gets those grates gleaming.

Vinegar and Baking Soda

Here's an effective rust-removal method for any type of grill. Create a paste from a cup of baking soda and a little white vinegar. Apply the paste to the rusted area with a sponge. Let the paste sit for up to 30 minutes. Scrub the area with warm water and a soft cloth or sponge. Rinse the area with warm water.

Deep Cleaning Your Charcoal Grill

Last, but never least, here's to the grill enthusiasts who live for charcoal-broiled meats and fish. Charcoal grills also need to be cleaned and maintained as much as gas models do. The makers of Weber Grills suggest the following:

• Lid: Wipe the inside of a warm grill using paper towels and mild soap and water to prevent buildup.
• Grates: Pre-heat your grill on high for up to 15 minutes. Brush it down with a stainless steel-bristle brush.
• Outside of lid/bowl: When the grill is cool, wipe down the bowl with a mild detergent soap or glass cleaner to get back the shine.
• Charcoal ash: Be mindful of disposing of the ash. Wrap it in foil, use it as fertilizer, or spray it in a lime and water mix around your vegetable garden to deter bugs. There are dozens of uses for charcoal ash from a charcoal grill, adds Char-Broil.

For more grilling recipes, keep exploring Foodlion.com. Here, you'll find unique ideas from Grilled Sangria and Grilled Fruit Pizza to favorites such as Grilled Salmon and Grilled Hawaiian BBQ Chicken.