How to Clean Stainless Grill Grates

Heat your grill for 10 to 15 minutes, whether it's a charcoal grill or gas grill. The heat softens the grease and grilled-on food stuck to your grill grate, making it easier to remove.

Turn your grill off or remove the grill grate with tongs and oven mitt-covered hands.

Scrub the grill grate, while it's still warm, with a stainless steel grill brush. Vigorously move the brush back and forth over each part of the grate to scrape off grease and food. Once the grate is cool enough to pick up, scrub the underside, too.

Wear rubber gloves and spray the grill grate with oven cleaner to remove any remaining stubborn grease or food. Close the oven cleaner-covered grill grate in a large trash bag and let it soak overnight.

Take the grate out of the trash bag and wipe it down with a damp cloth to remove the oven cleaner, grease and loosened food.

Soak a clean cloth with plain water and squirt a nickel-sized amount of hand dishwashing detergent onto the wet cloth. Scrub your grill grate with the detergent to remove any last grease residue, then rinse well with plain water. Dry the grate with a clean cloth.