During the winter months, we can tend to neglect our outdoor equipment and furniture. When the weather is colder, and the darker nights set in, we tend to shy away from our garden until the warmer months come in.

However, the cold months can see your BBQ becoming unusable due to the build-up of unwanted residue. The harsh weather can cause havoc on any items left outside, especially your barbecue. If you want to make sure you can continue to flip those burgers and sizzle those sausages, keeping on top of the upkeep of your barbecue is essential.

Here, we will look at the best ways from Barbehow to clean your cooking utensil so that it is fit and ready for action when the weather picks up.

Step on: Set it ablaze

This might be a weird place to start, but it’s effective for cleaning dirt that has stagnated on your grill throughout winter. So, turn on your grill because the intense heat will burn off a lot of the most stubborn lingering food pieces and will make it easier to rid those still clinging on.

Step two: Wipe the Grill

Once the flames have burned away the residue or loosened it and the grill has cooled down, it’s time to wipe it clean. With a wire-bristled brush, scrub over your grill, just as you would with your oven’s version. To avoid any damage to your equipment, it’s recommended that you use a brass-bristled brush.

However, don’t fear if you don’t have one of these to hand. Simply screw up a ball of aluminium foil and use this instead.

After this, get a bucket of soapy water ready. Again, just as you would with your kitchen utensils, clean it with a dishcloth. If you find that the grime is too stubborn, it may be worth investing in some household cleaning products. Just make sure it’s specially designed for the job, otherwise, you may find it’s too abrasive and toxic.

Step three: Clean the equipment

Once you’ve cleaned the grill and it’s sparkling, next to clean is the rest of the equipment shouldn’t take as much cleaning. However, you still need to dust down inside your barbecue, using soapy water where necessary.

For gas Bbqs, which has food caught in the burners, you’ll need to check the manufacturer’s guide that you received when you bought it. This will tell you the best way to extract it. Make sure that no matter what is recommended, you’ve turned off your barbecue before you make an attempt.

BBQs with ‘clean’ settings

Some BBQs have self-cleaning settings in them. While this is a good place to start, it certainly shouldn’t replace manual cleaning. Yes, it does burn off certain particles, but it’s not a substitute for regular cleaning.

You will need to make sure that you clean every cooking compartment after using it and clean the head deflectors every couple of uses. You should also plan an annual clean and disassemble each part to give it a thorough clean. Before putting your utensil back together, allow each component the time to thoroughly dry so that dampness doesn’t affect your product when left to sit.

Final Step: Cover it up

Cover up your equipment once you’ve cleaned it all. Doing so will keep it in the best possible condition until you want to use it again. While it may seem like a fiddly job and is often overlooked, this will help to protect your barbecue from all the elements Mother Nature may throw at it.

Each BBQ model will have its own cover, so you can find one that’s best suited to yours. Of course, this will be an added cost however, it will prolong the life of your BBQ. This is because it will help you to avoid any unnecessary rust from occurring.

Overall, it’s important to follow the instructions that best suits your BBQ. However, by following these steps, you will be well on the way to ensuring the cleanliness of your piece and your barbecue will be ready for use when the sun makes its next appearance.