Cleaning Your Grill

A barbeque grill is a staple of summer backyard parties. There is nothing more fun or more delicious than a meal cooked outside on your barbeque, full of that unique grilled flavor. A grill is also a great cooking alternative to use, instead of heating up the kitchen in the summer.

But just like any other cooking tool, your grill must be cleaned regularly for it to operate correctly. If a grill is left too long without cleaning, the taste of the food you cook on it could be affected.

Maintaining the cleanliness of your grill doesn't have to be overwhelming, though. Use these guidelines to help get your grill clean and ready for summer cooking:

• Brush. If you don't have one already, buy a wire brush for your grill. You will need it to scrape the residue from cooking from the grate of the grill. To do this, wait until the grill is cool and then remove food particles and any residue with the brush. Do this after each use.
• Grease. For a more thorough cleaning, you will need to get down into the grill and get the grease off. To clean the bottom of the grill, remove the grate and wipe out the area with soapy water. You might need a degreaser of some kind to get the tough spots, but make sure that whatever product you use is safe for grills.
• Self cleaners. Some grills are self-cleaning. This is a great feature, but it doesn't mean you should never clean the grill yourself once in a while. Make sure you still clean and scrub the grill regularly to keep it at its cleanest.
• Aluminum. One way you can try deep-cleaning your grill rack is with aluminum foil. Wrap the rack in foil and turn on the grill for about 30 minutes or so with the lid on. This should help cooked-on food come off with ease. You can even use the aluminum foil to crumple up and scrape off the ash from the rack.

At the beginning and end of each grilling season, do an especially thorough cleaning of the entire grill. Disconnect the gas (if applicable), and take the grill apart so you can reach every dirty surface. Reassemble your grill and then wipe off the outside of the grill to finish the job.

The effort if takes to keep the grill clean is definitely worth it. With a clean and well-maintained grill, you will be ready to enjoy outdoor meals all season long.