How to Clean Your Gas Grill in Chantilly & Fairfax County, VA

It’s funny.

Last night, I was sitting on my deck and mostly enjoying the soft breeze and balmy temperatures that often accompany mid-July here in Northern Virginia.  But like a bucket of cold water on a burning flame, the spell was broken when my eye took notice of our stainless steel gas grill, and mostly how dirty it was.  And that was with the lid closed!

So what’s so funny about that, you wonder?  Good wondering.  You see, all winter long, especially when it seems like summer may never get here, thoughts of summer help keep me (your faithful Your 1 Plumber blog writer) sane.  And nothing stirs the imagination quite like memories of magical outdoor barbecues:  the sites, sounds, smells, every bit of it.  Yet never once do I imagine myself cleaning it.

But here it is, mid-summer, and the grill is definitely not ready for a House Beautiful photo shoot.  So, what’s it going to take to get it there?  Here are 4 handy tips for keeping your gas grill looking and working like new:

• Clean the outside after each grilling with a paper towel and a glass or multi-purpose cleaner.  You can buy exactly what you need:  cleaners specifically made for porcelain and stainless steel grills, or you can make your own if you practice green living.  For best results with a stainless steel grill, buff with the grain with a microfiber towel.

• Clean the grill’s stainless steel side tables the exact same way.  If, however, your grill came equipped with thermoset plastic side tables, the better choice for cleaning is a mild detergent mixed with warm water.  In that instance, a paper towel will do just fine.

• And now for the really fun part:  cleaning inside the cook box.  Once the grill has completely cooled off, remove the grates and heat tents.  Next, brush off all the grease and other cooking debris into something you can readily dispose of, like old newspapers. Believe me, doing this after every cookout makes the task a whole lot less onerous.

• Okay, but what happens when you don’t faithfully clean your grill after each use?  Well, one way to make the job a little easier the next time is to burn off any leftover food by turning your grill on high and running it for about 15 minutes before you start cooking.  That will turn most if not all of the leftovers to ash, and simplify the next cleaning episode.

And now, before I practice what I just preached, a friendly reminder from Your 1 Plumber.  If you’d like to eliminate the hassle of constant propane refills and your grill running out mid-cookout, contact us today for information about hooking up your grill to your home’s main natural or propane gas supply.