BBQ parties are fun, but the cleanup is so exhausting, especially cleaning the grill. You have to clean it thoroughly to get rid of every food residue.
But you are out of grill cleaner, and the stains are hard to clean with normal detergent. Can you use oven cleaner on a grill? In this article, we have the answer to this question and much more useful information.
Let’s find out together with Sunset Bar and Grill!
Can You Use Oven Cleaner On A Grill?
The answer is Yes. It’s possible to clean your grill with oven cleaner. The oven cleaner has some similar ingredients as the grill cleaner. So, it will easily remove the stubborn stains and buildups on your grill.
If you use the grill often, make sure that you clean it well after each use. Moreover, you should deep clean your grill several times per year. In this way, you can keep it in a good condition and lengthen its lifespan.
The chemicals in oven cleaner are effective in cleaning a greasy grill. But most of them are organic, so it’s safe to use oven cleaner on your grill.
Oven cleaner is good, but you should use it properly to avoid damaging your grill. Here we have a guide for how to clean the grill with oven cleaner.
It’s possible to clean your grill with oven cleaner
How Do You Clean A Disgusting Grill?
To have your disgusting grill thoroughly cleaned, you will need the following things.
- Oven cleaner
- Metal grill brush
- Paper towels
- Dishwashing soap
- Cloths
Follow the below steps to clean the charcoal and propane gas grill using oven cleaner.
1. For the charcoal grill
- Step 1: Take out all the grill grates after they are cool. Then, spray them with oven cleaner so that the liquid can coat all the stains. Leave the cleaner on the grates for at least 30 minutes. If the buildups have accumulated for a long time, you should leave them overnight.
- Step 2: After the residue becomes soft, use the metal grill brush to rub the grates. Then, rinse them and let them dry completely.
- Step 3: Remove all the ash from the ash pan of the grill. Next, wipe the inside of the grill with paper towels.
- Step 4: Mix the dishwashing soap with water by the ratio of 1:10. After that, dampen a cloth with this mixture and wipe the inside and outside of the grill.
- Step 5: Wash the grill with water and let it dry naturally. You should clean your grill on a sunny or dry day so that it can dry faster.
2. For propane grill
- Step 1: Keep the lid of the gas grill closed. Then turn it on at high heat for 10-15 minutes. After that, turn it off and wait until the grill cools a bit. The high temperature will loosen greasy accumulations and help you clean more easily.
- Step 2: When the grill is still warm, rub the grates with a metal grill brush. If the residue sticks too tightly, spray a little oven cleaner on it and rub harder.
- Step 4: After the grill has cooled down, clean it with a cloth dampened in soap solution. You should wipe both the grill’s interior and exterior to remove any stains.
- Step 5: Wash again with water and let the grill dry completely before storing.
Some Grill Cleaning Tips You Should Know
1. Clean the grill grates when they are still warm
It’s easier to remove food residue and greasy accumulations from warm grates. Because the heat can make accumulation looser.
Thus, after grilling, you should let the grates cool down a bit, then start cleaning them. Remember to wear gloves and use a non-inflammable cleaner.
It’s easier to remove food residue and greasy accumulations from warm grates
2. Get the proper frequency of quick and deep cleaning
You should make a quick cleanup after each time using your grill. In that way, the grease and food residue can’t accumulate.
For deep cleaning, you can do it several times per year. The more you use your grill, the more frequently you should deep clean it.
If you only have BBQ parties in summer, you can deep clean your grill 2 times. The suitable time is at the beginning and the end of the BBQ season.
3. Keep grime away from your grill
You can use some utensils to prevent grime from making a mess in your grill. When grilling, you should cover the grill’s exposed areas with aluminum foil. Besides, putting your food in a grill pan or grill basket also reduces grime.
Use a grill basket to reduce grime in your grill
4. Clean with grill-friendly tools
It’s better to use cleaning tools specialized for grills, such as grill brushes. You can also use soft cloths when cleaning the surfaces of your grill. Don’t use wire bristle scrapers on your grill because they can scratch the enamel.
5. Use proper cleaning solutions
To avoid unwanted damages, you should use the recommended cleaner for grills. These cleaners can easily remove stains from your grill without damaging it.
With normal stains, you can dilute mild detergent with water to clean your grill. Natural homemade cleaners are also effective in cleaning.
Moreover, they are safe for your grill as well as yourself. You can consult the natural homemade cleaners listed below.
Some Natural Homemade Grill Cleaners
1. White vinegar
Many people agree that white vinegar is one of the most effective natural cleaners. This acidic liquid can also help you remove stains on your grill. To clean with white vinegar, you need to mix white vinegar with water by the ratio of 1:1.
Then, pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray it over your dirty grill grates. The grates must be cool before you apply the vinegar solution to them. The vinegar needs some time to dissolve the grime. So, let this solution sit on the grates for 10-15 minutes.
Then, you can rub the grates with a grill brush or an aluminum foil ball. After that, you should rinse the grates again with water and let them dry.
White vinegar is one of the most effective natural cleaners
2. Baking soda
Besides helping you make delicious cookies, baking soda is also useful for cleanups. Especially, when you combine baking soda with white vinegar, you will have a great natural cleaner. This mixture can disintegrate the stubborn buildups that you can’t remove with a normal cleaner.
All you need to do is mix 2 parts of white vinegar with 1 part of baking soda. Then, you apply this mixture to your grill grates and cover them with a plastic bag. It’s better to let this bag sit for some hours, ideally overnight.
After that, you take the grates out and wash them with water. You can use the grill brush to scrub if there is any stuck residue.
3. Lemons or onions
Like white vinegar, lemons or onions are also acidic so they can work well with greasy stains. You can use these two cooking materials to do some cleanups after grilling.
To clean your grill, first, you take half of a lemon or onion. Then, you heat your grill for several minutes and stick a fork to the lemon or onion. Next, you rub it over the grill grates with its cut side down.
To handle more accumulations, you can sprinkle some salt on the lemon before rubbing. But you should be careful when using this method because salt can scratch your grill’s surface.
You can use onions to do some cleanups after grilling
4. Steaming
Hot steam can also make greasy buildups softer so that they are easier to remove. This method will work the best with a portable clothes steamer.
First, you should remove the grates from your grill. Then, you move the steamer to the dirty areas for steaming. After the residue is softer, you can get rid of them with a brush or cloth.
Steaming is a safe method to clean your grill because it only uses water.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, cleaning your grill with oven cleaner is possible. It’s better to follow the guide we provided to do it properly. You can also try the cleaning tips and natural grill cleaners above. We hope that this article is useful for your cleanups. Thank you for reading!
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