Today, I'm revealing all my secrets, tips and tricks to keep your BBQ super clean. Yes, yes, I'm going to tell you all the steps to take to make your BBQ, no matter how old it is, look brand new.
Generally, people clean their BBQ every season. Washing your BBQ is very important because you cook your food in it, you eat (maybe) next to it and, most importantly, because if it is not maintained, a fire could literally start inside it. A BBQ will never get “too hot”, so it could set your wooden fence on fire, melt the vinyl siding on your house… do a lot of dangerous things. In fact, the fire could start in the bottom of the BBQ, where the grease collects, and it is the intense heat that would come out that could be problematic.
Not only that, there may also be marinades, spices, salt and/or fats in your BBQ that could slowly start to eat away at the stainless steel or metal of your appliance. Maintaining your machine is therefore preferable, especially if you are not sure about the quality of the stainless steel it has.
The very first thing to do when you are about to clean your BBQ is to move your appliance onto grass or rock. You definitely don't want to damage your patio, your paving stone or your favorite concrete slab (because yes, the products I am going to tell you about work like a charm!). I also advise you to place yourself somewhere where there is no sun, especially if your BBQ has baked paint or stainless steel parts, because one of the products (the BBQ Québec Degreaser ) could leave stains on it because it is so effective. (If there is sun where you are setting up, make sure to let the product act for a shorter time.)
Once that's done, if your BBQ has a propane tank, remove it. "Close" the tank completely, take it out and unscrew the regulator. Then, to ensure that you are working safely, burn off the remaining gas in your BBQ. If a flame appears, let it "burn" until it goes out completely. Watch the flame carefully, however, because if it is uneven or a different color (blue on one side and yellow on the other, for example), you may need to unclog the burners on your BBQ or replace them.
Next, remove the grill grates, heat deflectors and grease pan (after giving them a quick clean) from your BBQ so you can access the bottom of your appliance. Fill a large tub half full of water (ideally hot) and soak your grill grates, deflectors and pan in it. When the water starts to turn brown, empty it out of the tub, then add clean water (always, ideally hot) back into the tub. Pour about half a bottle of Degreaser into the water and let it do its job for about 4 to 5 minutes. If necessary, scrape the parts in the water to make the product work even better. Once the time is up, make sure to rinse everything well.
The Degreaser can be used to clean literally everything. You can clean your entire BBQ with it, your char mags, your shower, your bath, stains on your floor… it’s really very effective! Just be careful, however, not to breathe too much of the product or get it on your skin (use gloves when handling it, it’s important!). Obviously, it’s also a toxic product, so don’t drink it. I’m telling you, with the Degreaser, all the grease that may be on your surfaces will disappear; the surfaces will look brand new! 👌
Be careful though, if your BBQ has cast iron grills, yes, they can be degreased, but to keep them looking new for the next 20 years, you need to clean them, then degrease them, and finally oil them. As long as you maintain them properly and oil them once in a while when they are dry, they will keep their beautiful appearance and will not rust. So you should not forget to oil them before reinstalling them on your BBQ at the end of the cleaning process.
By the way, at BBQ Québec, we have 2 types of brushes perfect for different types of grills. We have some with brass filaments , which are ideal for cast iron grills, and others with stainless steel filaments that give wonderful results, when used on stainless steel grills or anywhere on a BBQ.
While the grates, heat deflectors, and grease pan are soaking, use the Napoleon Gas Grill Cleaning Tool Set to scrape and scrub the inside of your grill. (By the way, I recommend this kit, but we also sell the tools individually, so you can get only what you need. This set also works just as well on Napoleon as it does on Blaze and Weber grills, so there's no need to worry about that. Of course, we have other accessories for other grill models, too. 😉)
With the grill scraper, you can thoroughly scrape off all the big pieces and grease that are stuck on the bowl and burners of your BBQ (and obviously, beforehand, your grills and heat deflectors). All the dirt that is on the surface, you will be able to say goodbye to them in a few seconds. (When it comes time to clean the bowl, I also recommend that you work with plastic or composite tools; it works very well. A little trick like that. 😉)
And to really get your burners extremely clean, you can take the angled bristle brush to remove all the little particles (whether it's grease or carbon) that have accumulated and are clogging their holes. This brush also does a great job of cleaning the sides of the burners and the "channels" (the channels that bring the gas from one burner to the other). It's really designed to fit the shape of the burners well.
Although, if you really want to unclog every hole in your burners, you can use the orifice cleaner (the tool with the "little needle"), which is made for that.
If after all this, your burners are still clogged, remove them from your BBQ and clean them with the venturi brush, which will allow you to clean their interior. Whether your burners "spin" or are in a straight line, this tool will work wonderfully.
Once your BBQ is nice and "clean", it's time to spray it with Degreaser. Now, get ready, there will be brown/orange liquid flowing from your BBQ. This is normal, your BBQ has already been used and the product removes grease from the surfaces. If your BBQ changes color a little after coating it with Degreaser, don't worry, that's normal too.
And there, when I said that you can put Degreaser on everything, it was true. You can put it on the burners, the heat deflectors, the grids, the shelves, the tank, the handles, the buttons, on the trolley and inside the lid of your machine (you can spare your regulator on the other hand). You let the product act, slowly, but surely, for 4 to 5 minutes, then rinse everything well afterwards (you can even use a pressure hose to do it or use a brush at the same time if you want), until you no longer see small bubbles in the water.
The Degreaser has 2 modes: jet and spray. Personally, I like to use the spray mode when I clean the outside of the BBQ because it gets everywhere and because the outside is a surface that, by default, is less greasy. Obviously, go for it in the way you prefer.
Once everything is well rinsed, put on your sunglasses and take out the BBQ Québec Shine Reviver . Watch out, your BBQ will "shine" like never before after this! ✨ (I'm telling you, the dust slides right off your BBQ when you put some on!)
To use the Gloss Reviver, it's simple: take a towel with microfibers, put it in front of the bottle nozzle, press the trigger of the Reviver 2-3 times (you can choose the jet or spray mode), then use it to wipe all the parts/surfaces of your BBQ. You will see, all the imperfections, fingerprints and anything less sexy will disappear and your BBQ will look straight out of the "shop"! 🤩
After finishing cleaning your BBQ, if you believe that your BBQ has one or more defective or problematic parts, do not hesitate to contact our advisors in store or on the chat at bbqqquébec.com , we will be happy to help you.
Happy cleaning and… happy BBQing!
1 comment
Excellente information, merci.