BBQ Maintenance Tips

Is your BBQ looking a little worse for wear after a long summer of delicious barbecuing? It might just need a good clean. Here are some tips to keep your BBQ in its best shape so that you can keep enjoying some delicious food on the grill.

• Always make sure your propane tank is turned off before you begin cleaning or other maintenance
• For gas barbecues, remove the cooking grates and briquettes and lean the tubes underneath with warm, soapy water
• Burners can be wiped clean with a damp cloth
• Clean the grill with a long-handled, stiff-wire grill brush along with warm, soapy water
• If your propane tank is corroded or rusted, it should probably be replaced; you can recycle them wherever propane is supplied
• If your BBQ has been especially smokey this season, it may be because of grease build up. You can turn over the briquettes, close the lid and heat the grill on high for 15 minutes to burn the grease off
• Store your BBQ properly at the end of each season; if you’re keeping it outside, cover it with a vinyl cover and leave the propane tank attached. If you’re storing it inside, leave the propane tank outside and away from furnace or dryer vents, and cover the gas line on the BBQ to ward off unwanted insects from making it their home for the winter
• Between uses during the summer season, clean the grates so you avoid excess buildup
• If you use your BBQ year-round, you should clean it twice a year

Always make sure to follow manufacturers’ instructions when disassembling and cleaning your BBQ.

Happy grilling!