How To Clean Grill With Vinegar And Soapy Water – A Complete Guide

Grills are common in cooking for many people. You need to keep them clean at all times so here is a complete guide on how to clean the grill with vinegar and soapy water.

Cooking in grills involves a lot of oil and grease.

These are some of the most common and hardest residues to remove especially when you just wipe the grill with paper towels.

They also tend to gather soot, especially with wood-fired grills, and food residues from different recipes which can contaminate other food that you will be cooking in the future.

Keeping the grill clean is not only for aesthetic purposes.

You also need to clean the grill regularly to keep it safe for the grill itself and the health of the people that eat the food.

It is advised to clean the grill every time that you are done using it.

This will contribute to the maintenance of the integrity and overall cleanliness of the grill that you are using.

 

While cleaning it with water is good, it is not enough. You need to go deeper in order to get rid of all the bacteria and microorganisms that are lurking inside the grill as well as the outer parts.

Pyrolizing is also a great process but it is not considered a deep-clean.

That is why you need chemicals to remove all of the residuals inside the grill and make it ready for the next use.

So follow this guide as we give you a step-by-step process on how to clean the grill with vinegar and soapy water to keep it safe for cooking and safe from natural elements as well.

 

Reasons Why You Should Always Clean Your Grill After Use

Aside from the mentioned reason that cleaning the grill makes better food and healthier, safer recipes, there are also some reasons why you should always keep your grill clean.

It helps remove carcinogens and avoid transferring them to your food.

A carcinogen is commonly found in sausages, hotdogs, pepperoni, and other processed meats.

These foods are also common when grilling.

So you need to get rid of those so the cancer-causing carcinogens do not transfer from one food to another and then into your body.

Cleaning the grill regularly will also help prevent corrosion.

When you remove grease and other moistures from your grill, it is less likely to gather rust and other destructive chemicals.

This can result in longer life of the grill which will save you more money. Keeping the grill clean will also lessen the maintenance needed and the replacement of parts.

 

What You Will Need

1. Paper Towels

2. Clean Cloth

3. A Grill Brush

4. Dishwashing liquid and Water

5. Half Water Half Vinegar Mixture

6. A Spray Bottle and A Large Tub

 

Before You Start

Before you start scrubbing the grill and its parts, make sure that you have a tub of hot water and then mix the dishwashing liquid in it or any soap that you prefer.

Also, mix the vinegar in a separate tub of water and then put the mixed vinegar in a spray bottle.

Spraying the vinegar mixture will be easier for you than using a dipper or just a cloth.

Turn the grill off and disconnect it with the propane gas tank if you are using one.

If you use other fuels, make sure to remove all the charcoal and other sources of heat.

You can do the mixing while waiting for the grill to completely cool down.

Make sure you wait for the grill to completely cool down to prevent accidents such as burns and other injuries.

 

Start With The Grill Grates

The grill grates will most likely be the dirtiest part of the grill as it will have food residuals and a lot of grease on them.

So start by removing the grill grates from the grill itself.

Lay them down on a flat surface and then spray the vinegar and water mixture on the grates.

Make sure that the grates are soaked with the vinegar mixture and let them sit for a minute.

Then, get your grill brush and start scrubbing away the grease and food residuals from the grates. Make sure that you remove all of the debris from the grates.

Next is you will need to soak them even more.

In order to kill all the bacteria on the grates, you need to soak them in the large tub of soapy hot water for about 15 minutes.

You can also go for 30 minutes if it still needs to be cleaned even more.

Then, get them out of the tub and rinse them well by splashing water on the grates.

In order to make sure that the soap is removed, get a washcloth, and dip it into the water.

Make sure that the washcloth is damp and then wipe the grill grates with it.

Drying the grates off will be as simple as patting them down with paper towels.

Do not let them go under air-drying as that process will risk having soap seep into the grates.

 

 

Covers and Burners

Cleaning the grill covers is the same as cleaning the grill grates.

First, you remove them from the grill itself and then spray it down with the vinegar and water mixture.

Then, brush off all the debris that is stuck on the cover.

After that, you will need to soak them in the tub of hot water and sap for 15 to 30 minutes.

Rinse them with fresh water and wipe them with a clean washcloth.

Finally, pat the cover dry with the paper towels and then set them aside.

As for the burners, you will need to go straight to the brushing process.

Make sure to be careful with the brush so you do not damage the burners.

We recommend going to a side-to-side pattern so that the brushes can thoroughly clean the burners even beneath the dents and scales, which honestly need the most cleaning.

Then inspect the burners for clogged holes.

This might be the reason why your grill does not heat up as fast as it should be, so dislodge the clogs by poking them with a stick.

 

Now To The Insides

Since you have removed the grill grates, covers, and burners, you now have direct access to the inside of the grill so it is time for you to clean the parts.

The insides of the grill need to be cleaned thoroughly.

The bottom of the grill grates would have collected grease that might cause flare-ups and inconsistent cooking surfaces.

Get the brush and start scrubbing off the large debris that got stuck on the surfaces inside the grill.

Then spray the vinegar and water mixture to loosen up the grease.

After that, brush the surfaces again to remove the grease.

Wipe it down with a wet washcloth and then pat it dry with paper towels.

 

The Outer Parts

Cleaning the lid and outer parts of the grill does not need brushes.

Since the surfaces on the outer parts of the grill are smooth, you only need the washcloth to wipe it clean.

So, get the soap and water and dip the washcloth in it.

Then start wiping all the grease and dirt from the outer parts of the grill and then rinse it by using another washcloth without soap in it.

If there are stubborn stains and food residuals in the grill, you can use a sponge to scrub them off.

Remember not to apply too much pressure to prevent making dents and scratches.

 

POINTS TO REMEMBER

So there you have it, you can now clean your grill with a simple mixture of vinegar and water plus water and soap.

The grill will be surely safe for the next barbecue.

Always remember to dry the grill and leave no moisture in it.

If moisture settles inside the grill, it can develop rust which will be harder to remove when it builds up.

This process will be able to keep the grill safe from bacteria for the entire winter season and washing it down with water before using it again will do the trick.

So in order to keep your grill safe and the food you cook in it, do this process as many times as you can to make sure that there are no grease or food residuals stuck on the grill.

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