How To Deep Clean Your Gas Grill

Prepare grill for cleaning

• Ensure your grill is completely cool with the gas turned off.
• Put on some protective, flexible gloves.
• Roll your grill onto a medium-sized tarp if you don’t want debris getting on the ground.
  • With the tarp, the stuff you’ll be knocking loose will be contained for proper disposal later.
• Open the lid and remove the grates, then lay them across a large garbage can.

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Spray cook box and scrape flavorizer bars

• Spray the inside of the cook box with a solution of one part dish soap and 10 parts water, making sure to coat all surfaces.
• Use a putty knife to scrape both sides of each flavorizer bar (if your grill has them).
  • Be sure to remove as much soot and debris as possible.

Robert Maxwell for Family Handyman

Scrub and vacuum cook box

• Scrub all inside surfaces of the upper half of the cook box with a wire brush, now that the dish soap and water solution has had a chance to cut the grease.
• Remove the flavorizer bars once you’ve scraped them clean, then set them to one side.
• Use a shop vacuum to remove all loose debris from the bottom of the cook box, reaching between the burner tubes with the vacuum’s wand.

Robert Maxwell for Family Handyman

• • Use a headlamp to illuminate the inside of the cook box if you’re not working in a well-lit area.

Robert Maxwell for Family Handyman

Brush burner tubes and scrape bottom of cook box

• Use a clean wire brush to remove all debris from the burner tubes. Be sure to brush the tubes side to side rather than along their length to avoid brushing debris into the tubes.
• Remove the brushed burner tubes and place them to one side.
• Use a putty knife and your first wire brush to remove all loose debris from the bottom half of the cook box now that the flavorizer bars and burner tubes are out of the way.

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Clean the grates

• If your grill has stainless steel grates, use the putty knife to scrape loose the largest deposits of debris into the waiting garbage can. Skip scraping if your grates are porcelain or enameled.
• Remove the rest of the debris from the grates using a wire brush.
• Begin by scraping (if applicable) and brushing the top side of each grate, then flip them over and repeat the process on the bottom side.
• Spray the grates with grill cleaner spray, let it sit for five to 10 minutes, then wipe each grate clean with a fresh disposable shop towel.

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Clean grease tray

• Open the grill’s lower doors and remove the grease collection tray.
• Scrape all debris collected by the tray into your garbage can.
• Spray the tray with grill cleaner, then wipe away all grease and remaining debris with a fresh shop towel.

Robert Maxwell for Family Handyman

Clean grill cabinet

• Wipe all outside surfaces of the grill with stainless steel wipes, paying special attention to the side tables, top edges of the cabinet doors and front edge of the cook box where grease is likely to collect.
• Vacuum all inside surfaces of the grill cabinet.

Robert Maxwell for Family Handyman

• Remove the control knobs and wipe them as well as the areas behind them with stainless steel wipes.

Robert Maxwell for Family Handyman

Inspect igniters, test burners and reassemble grill

• Examine each igniter in your grill, ensuring they all spark properly and aren’t dirty or damaged.
• Replace the grease tray, burner tubes, flavorizer bars and grates.
• Bring your grill outside (if it’s not already there), then test it to make sure it lights properly with all burner tubes emitting small blue flames from each hole as they should.

Robert Maxwell for Family Handyman