July 28th, 2022 by Sarah Miles

Before we start, let’s dispel the myth from the start: simply firing up the barbecue will not ‘burn away’ all the grime and bits of stuck-on food from last year. All you are doing by not cleaning your barbecue properly is giving the equipment plenty of opportunity to rust and you could possibly give yourself food poisoning.

Not only should you give your barbecue a good clean at the end of the summer before you put it away (or if you didn’t do this last year, a huge clean at the start of the summer), but you should also be cleaning it as you use it if you want to keep it in good condition (and stop your food tasting like last week’s sausages!). After all, you wouldn’t keep using the same grill pan or saucepan without washing them, would you?

However, there are several things you can use to clean your barbecue, ranging from the obvious – a barbecue cleaning product – to the unusual, such as tomato ketchup.

Here are a few things you can try to keep yours sparkling and hygienic:

Coffee

Coffee is acidic so it can help loosen dried food and grime. Dissolve the coffee in a bowl with boiling water and submerge the grill in it. (Basically, place it in a huge cup of coffee!). When you remove it, you should be able to scrape the dirt away.

Vinegar

Vinegar really is a multi-purpose substance. Not only does it taste great on your chips, but its high acid content can also cut through most types of dirt (possibly best not to think about what it’s doing in your stomach!). Mix a 50:50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray onto the grill and then leave for a while to work. Then spray again with pure vinegar. This should loosen the dirt so you can wipe it away.

Tomato Ketchup

Anyone who has been at scout or Girl Guide camp will know that ketchup is the product of choice for removing the dirt and smoke from pans used to cook on an open fire. Again, it’s really down to the vinegar content but because it’s quite sticky, you can smear it over the surface of the grill, and it will cling quite well to allow the vinegar to work. Rub it over the surface and then wipe it away and wash.

Bicarbonate of Soda

Another kitchen wonder ingredient. Bicarbonate of soda fizzes when mixed with water and this fizzing action can help lift dried dirt. Soak in a bowl of bicarb and water and you can also add some vinegar for extra fizz.

Onion

This is a great tip that you can do as soon as you finish cooking. Cut an onion in half (put one aside when you’re chopping onions for hotdogs and burgers) and stick a fork on the curved side. Use this to rub the onion over the grill while it’s still warm. The heat will turn the water in the onion to steam and the acid content will cut through the grease. It will make the job of cleaning it when it’s cooled much easier.

Beer

Don’t waste any beer that’s gone warm, and nobody wants to drink. Pour some onto the grill when still warm and it will fizz away at the grease and grime.