How to clean gas BBQs and how to disinfect a grill

When the barbecue has cooled down enough to touch (but is still warm), take a stiff wire brush and clean off any remaining food particles from the grate. You can also use the “clean” setting on your barbecue, which provides enough heat to burn off some of the food particles – but you will still need to scrub away at the charred food manually. Remove these food particles and toss them in the bin.

There are plenty of products suitable for cleaning a gas barbeque, but it’s well worth checking the manufacturer’s guidelines and the label of your chosen product to be certain they are compatible and that you are using the cleaner correctly. Some people like to finish up a clean by slicing either a lemon or onion in half and rubbing it along the grating and the interior of the barbecue – this is optional.

Allow the barbecue to air-dry and cover when it has cooled.

Disconnect the gas from the barbecue and lift out the grill parts, layer by layer.

Make sure nothing is blocking the flow of gas. If the lava rocks or briquettes are too dirty or encrusted with food to clean, you will need to replace them. In the interest of hygiene, you should be replacing these once a year.

Clean it thoroughly using a commercial cleaner suitable for barbecues or warm soapy water. If you’d like to try a homemade solution, mix together a little liquid dish soap, water, and white vinegar (did you know, using vinegar is a great natural way to clean items around the house?!). Use a wire brush to scrub away any food particles.

If there are particularly stubborn bits of burnt-on food, you should soak the grate for a few hours in soapy water — or if you need something stronger, a solution of ammonia. Check the instructions on the label of your chosen product to determine which safety precautions will be necessary and how much it needs to be diluted: ammonia is a powerful cleaning product. As the fumes can be strong, make sure to do this in a well-ventilated area when there are no children nearby. Never use bleach or chlorine-based products to clean any part of your barbecue, as these can be very dangerous around heat.   

After the soak, you should be able to scrub the remaining food particles off.

Use soapy water to clean the rest of the barbecue, including all surfaces and the exterior and rinse the parts with clean water and let them dry thoroughly. Carefully reassemble your barbecue.

If your barbecue is cast iron, it should be oiled with vegetable oil to stay in good condition. Heat your barbecue or use the “clean” setting to burn off any soap residue before cooking again.