How to Clean a Bar-B-Q Grill

Scrub grease and other residue from the grill's grates immediately after removing food using a stiff, brass-bristled brush. It is easier to scrape the grates clean when they are still hot. If you do this each time you use the grill, it cuts down on the number of times more heavy-duty cleaning must be done.

If the grill gets put away before being cleaned and is cold when it is being cleaned, the same results can be achieved by using a steel wool, mesh scouring pad. Since there is no fear of being burned, it is easier to use this method and put more pressure on the grates in order to loosen the accumulated residue and grease.

Remove the grates to clean the area beneath once the grill is cool. Depending on the type of grill, this can include emptying the ashes and remnants of charcoal or simply wiping off the residue from the inside of a gas grill. Use a sponge and a citrus-based detergent to cut through the grease and grime. It may take some scrubbing, depending on how long the grease has been sitting -- the more often this is done, the less work it will be.

While the grates are removed for this cleanup, leave them soaking in a sink or pan full of hot, soapy water. This helps remove any built-up residue that scrubbing with a bristled brush may have missed.

Coat the grates and the inside of the grill with a non-stick cooking spray. This makes future cleanup easier by preventing grease and residue from adhering to the grill surfaces.

Clean the outside of the grill with a sponge and hot, soapy water. Keep the grill covered to prevent the outside from getting dirtied by the elements, and to help keep the inside water- and rust-free.