How to Clean a Grill the Right Way

Is your outdoor grill your summertime sidekick? If so, you probably turn to it regularly, since grilling is an efficient, fun, and flavorful way to cook—and often results in less mess than using the stove. This appliance, however, still requires some maintenance.

While the high heat of the grill kills lurking food-borne pathogens, it's important to keep it clean to improve its performance and prolong its life. "The more barbecue debris on the grill, the harder it is for the hot air to move around the inside," says Kevin Kolman, Weber's head grill master. This prevents the grill from heating up quickly—and means it won't be as hot as you need it to be.

Simply put: A clean grill cooks food better and faster. Our grilling expert shares exactly how to clean your grill and keep it primed to work its best.

How Often to Clean Your Grill

A monthly maintenance and cleaning schedule will help prolong the life of the grill depending how often you use it. Gas, charcoal, and electric grills should be cleaned once or twice per month. That cadence ramps up in the summer, when we grill more: "The good rule of thumb is for every five to seven cooks, clean your grill," explains Kolman. Pellet grills, however, should be cleaned after every use.

What to Clean Every Time You Grill

There are a few things to check off your maintenance list every time you grill. Ashes and old charcoal should be removed from the bottom of the bowl before each use to prevent buildup. (Make sure the charcoal is fully extinguished before tackling this task.) For a gas grill, empty the catch pan or tray of any grease or food residue to prevent fires or overflow.

Before You Start

Identify Your Grill Type and Materials

First things first: Identify your grill type (charcoal, gas, or pellet) and its surface material. While cleaning methods for all grill options are similar, their interior and exterior materials will determine the type of cleaning supplies you need. "Always use the correct surface cleaner," affirms Kolman. Read the labels of your cleaning solvents to better understand which surfaces they should be used on—and be prepared to have a few options on deck. "You want to use specific food surface cleaners for the inside of the grill and specific cleaners for the outside of the grill," he says.

Gather Materials

• Grill brush
• Surface cleaner or dish soap
• Mild scouring pad
• Stainless steel cleaner
• Microfiber cloth
• Gloves

Protect Your Hands

Before you get started, protect your hands (Kolman always recommends wearing gloves when cleaning). "Smoke, grease, and other barbecue stains are hard to get off of your hands and clothes, so using rubber gloves will make your life easier," he says.

How to Clean Your Grill, Step by Step

Step 1: Clean the Interior

On porcelain interior surfaces, use a mild scouring pad and dish soap or surface cleaner; porcelain exteriors should be cleaned with paper towels and surface cleaners. Mild dish soap helps cut some of the grease and debris on both the inside and outside of a porcelain grill—so if stains on your exterior surface won't budge, suds it up.

Step 2: Clean the Exterior

For a stainless-steel grill exterior, apply a stainless-steel cleaner first, and then a polish using a microfiber towel. Never use paper towels on this material, which could result in scratches, Kolman says. Pro tip: Make sure to go with the grain of the stainless steel while cleaning, which will also help minimize scratches.

Step 3: Clean the Grill Grates

Cooking grates do the heavy lifting in high grill season. Kolman recommends cleaning the grates of any food residue when the grill is hot, right after pre-heating.

It's easy to make it part of your grilling routine. "The best way to clean any surface you grill on is to heat the grill up to 500 to 600 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes and use a grill brush," he says. Brushing all the excess debris down and out of the grill helps prevents any future food from sticking. All other cleaning should be done when the grill is cool to the touch.