Twelve Tips for the Home Improvement Segment
The Tips
- Clean it while it’s hot. Run the grill on high with the lid down for 10 to 15 minutes after cooking. The heat turns stuck-on food to ash so it brushes off with almost no effort. Cold scrubbing is the hard way.
- Retire the wire-bristle brush. Stray metal bristles can break off, cling to the grates, and end up in someone’s food. Switch to a bristle-free brush, a grill stone, or a balled-up piece of aluminum foil held with tongs.
- Oil the grates before every cook. Wipe a paper towel dipped in a high-smoke-point oil like canola over the hot grates. It stops food from sticking and helps keep rust away.
- Empty the grease tray often. A full drip tray is the number one cause of flare-ups and grease fires. Scrape it and line it fresh. Don’t let it turn into a pool.
- Deep-clean the grates once or twice a season. Pull them and soak in warm, soapy water, with a little baking soda for baked-on gunk. Scrub, rinse, and dry completely before they go back in.
- Clear the burner tubes on a gas grill. Clogged ports cause weak, uneven, or yellow flames. A grill brush or a bent paper clip clears the holes so every burner lights evenly.
- Test the gas connections for leaks. Brush soapy water on the hose and fittings, then turn on the gas. Growing bubbles mean a leak. Do this at the start of every season and after swapping a tank.
- Season cast-iron grates like a skillet. A thin coat of oil baked onto the grates builds a nonstick layer and blocks rust. Never put cast iron away wet.
- Knock the ash out of a charcoal grill after every use. Leftover ash traps moisture, which rots the metal from the inside, and it chokes off the airflow you need for good heat.
- Scrape the inside of the lid. That black flaking overhead isn’t grease, it’s carbon buildup. A putty knife or scraper keeps it from dropping onto your food.
- Cover it and store it smart. A quality cover and a spot out of the weather do more to prevent rust and fading than any cleaner. Moisture is the real enemy.
- Inspect and replace worn parts. Once a year, check the flavorizer bars, igniter, and grates for burn-through. A fresh igniter battery or a cheap replacement part beats fighting a grill that won’t light.
Resources to Mention On Air
This Old House, Ultimate Guide to Grill Maintenance. A trusted home improvement resource that covers the whole segment. For more on grill cleaning – thisoldhouse.com and have them search grill maintenance. Direct link thisoldhouse.com/yards/grill-maintenance.
Weber, Tips and Techniques. Excellent step-by-step care guides split into gas and charcoal. Send listeners to weber.com and look under Tips and Techniques for grill care.
For everything we covered today, This Old House has a full grill maintenance guide at thisoldhouse.com, just search grill maintenance, and Weber’s site has great step-by-step cleaning for both gas and charcoal.
